[0:06] did you happen to check mailbox in the B
[0:09] office
[0:10] on oh
[0:12] okay this is updated I I did print that
[0:17] vac job this is updated
[0:19] [Music]
[0:20] version since this morning yeah they
[0:22] hired two people this
[0:28] today
[0:31] on it's
[0:33] 5:00 call the meeting for should I go in
[0:35] the office
[0:37] everybody yeah it's 5 o' thank you if
[0:40] you don't
[0:43] mind 5 o'
[0:46] [Music]
[0:53] somewhere you need a
[0:58] drink
[1:02] from the one I sent you
[1:05] today oh kind words
[1:13] [Music]
[1:16] okay figure
[1:20] [Music]
[1:24] out is
[1:27] [Music]
[1:28] your
[1:30] I'd like to call to order con C Council
[1:33] committee
[1:33] meeting uh excuse me yes committee
[1:36] meeting
[1:37] for what is today
[1:39] when November 1st 2023 um before we call
[1:44] the commit to order um Mr M is going to
[1:47] be absent tonight so Mr Cen will explain
[1:50] to us the
[1:52] process thank you um obviously Mr M the
[1:56] chairperson of the finance committee um
[1:58] we have two members president from the
[2:00] finance committee um city council
[2:03] follows Robert's Rules of Order um
[2:06] there's no provision about who and our
[2:08] to who would be the chair tonight uh in
[2:11] mr's absence as the chairman Pro Temp um
[2:15] therefore Roberts
[2:16] rules um essentially if the regular
[2:20] chairperson is not here um some other
[2:24] member of the committee uh should call
[2:28] that committee to order uh and then a
[2:32] chairman program must be elected between
[2:35] the people who are in that committee and
[2:38] it has to be done by majority vote which
[2:40] means because we want have
[2:45] two so I just point I'd like to ask Mr
[2:48] Williams to call the finance committee
[2:49] to
[2:52] order all right so like to call finance
[2:54] committee to order before us we have uh
[2:57] a series of information impa let's first
[2:59] s of businesses that you have to uh
[3:01] elect
[3:03] a yes sh between I don't care go ahead
[3:15] okay so before us we have a number of
[3:18] documents uh that I'm just going to ask
[3:20] uh Mr ferari to give us a of M and make
[3:25] sure everyone does have a copy of that
[3:28] speak I yeah had set out to you on your
[3:32] front of you the vacant job list this is
[3:35] actually as of 4:00 today uh the
[3:38] difference is updated because the
[3:40] difference is excuse me can I interrupt
[3:41] you you should already have that from Mr
[3:43] Ferrari do you have Miss yes pck yeah I
[3:45] put a I gave I gave it directly to her
[3:48] okay this one yep you updated list uh
[3:52] and there's two positions uh that were
[3:54] fil actually today so that's why we
[3:57] did I did updated
[4:00] uh the second the other piece of paper
[4:03] we have is
[4:05] U is Mr ver had requested the U the the
[4:14] budget amounts for uh Fe for
[4:18] [Music]
[4:19] services uh two the pieces that John
[4:23] there asked for was a for services of
[4:28] the uh appropriation of 2023 comp
[4:34] 2024 proposed budget and he wanted to
[4:37] see the uh percent change uh in regards
[4:40] to that and for the general water sewer
[4:44] and golf funds um if you look at the uh
[4:48] general fund you'll notice that the
[4:51] total fees for service throughout all
[4:53] departments is actually uh netive 4% 4%
[4:59] decrease
[5:02] um the water is a 10%
[5:05] increase uh the two fund is 0% increase
[5:09] in uh F of services and the golf fund is
[5:12] a 30%
[5:14] decrease the
[5:16] other question uh John had was the mag
[5:21] positions he asked the request of all
[5:23] positions um within City within city
[5:27] conect um ested to see the 2023 adopted
[5:32] budget the bills the 2024 prop bills um
[5:38] the proposed budget salaries uh and the
[5:41] percent increase or decrease associated
[5:44] with each position within the
[5:50] [Music]
[5:53] city so there's three pieces of paper
[5:55] that we just you have everything three
[5:57] pieces you have three sheets this side
[5:59] one long oh no I only have I have two
[6:02] this size and one this size
[6:05] might no that's what I
[6:09] already should have three this oh I got
[6:15] [Music]
[6:27] it I
[6:29] [Music]
[6:33] all
[6:34] right so based on our conversation and
[6:38] how was left last night uh the premise
[6:40] was that we would evaluate current
[6:42] vacancies in addition to Mr mutar
[6:45] suggestion of um reviewing the fees fees
[6:49] for
[6:50] service and identifying some uh
[6:53] additional dollars to transfer to the
[6:56] overtime lines for the police inire so
[6:59] at this time I'd like to open the floor
[7:01] to council members they have any
[7:03] suggestions or recommendations based on
[7:05] that
[7:08] information Mr prefer to oh so thank you
[7:11] so I just as at the end of our last
[7:13] meeting my understanding was there was
[7:15] we needed to get to the number of
[7:17] 777000 in order to make that happen and
[7:20] So based on what was um what Mr M had
[7:24] requested and just to be clear we're not
[7:26] talking about management positions at
[7:27] all here we're simply talking about the
[7:30] vacancies and Fe of service um those items are what we're talking about
[7:35] so
[7:37] um that was how we left it last night
[7:40] and one of the thing one of the
[7:42] agreements my understanding is that Miss
[7:44] Patrick want to make sure that we um
[7:46] make our police no time lines whole and
[7:50] um we're trying to talk about how we get
[7:52] there um by taking out some of the
[7:56] positions which we have gone through we
[7:58] have the information in front of us that
[8:00] does not include the
[8:02] fringes but it's um so they calculate
[8:05] the fringes we talk about that um I
[8:08] think that's that's probably it but the
[8:10] mayor did have his hand up oh Mr Mayor
[8:13] thank you Mr chairman just want to go
[8:15] over the uh budget process a little bit
[8:19] and again I'm not quite sure what you're
[8:21] trying to do start the budget process in
[8:26] May and June where uh department
[8:30] head to start preparing the next year's
[8:33] budget working with the finance
[8:35] department they start to
[8:37] assemble uh what's happening within
[8:39] their Department what they'd like to
[8:42] do every line item in that budget is
[8:47] gone over three and four
[8:50] times before it goes into the final
[8:53] graft now I've sat in all the positions
[8:57] that you hold and this is my 22nd budget
[9:01] so I understand sometimes their
[9:04] skepticism sometimes you think
[9:06] department heads might be trying to pull
[9:08] something over on
[9:10] you I will tell you that every line in
[9:15] that budget I can support the
[9:19] assumptions that are made now that does
[9:22] not mean that some of those things that
[9:23] we started in June or July that they
[9:27] haven't changed
[9:29] now and if the council's reviewing those
[9:33] and those assumptions are incorrect
[9:35] things have changed where there might be
[9:37] better savings there might be increased
[9:39] expenses I would expect the council to
[9:41] take that into consideration in terms of
[9:43] your
[9:44] deliberations but you came in here you
[9:47] took uh $1.1 million out of Public
[9:51] Safety wasn't happy with it didn't quite
[9:54] understand the logic behind
[9:55] it
[9:58] uh you've now gone through again I'll
[10:00] call it an interesting
[10:02] process now you're putting the $1.1
[10:05] million in and are looking to remove
[10:08] other positions
[10:11] that I really feel are important I don't
[10:14] mind going through line by line if some
[10:16] the department heads here to look at
[10:19] those in terms of what the expectations
[10:23] are if we fill those positions what our
[10:25] goal is as we all know recruitment now
[10:28] is
[10:29] uh somewhat of an issue so it's finding
[10:31] people with the right skill set to bring
[10:33] in to the slot so that we can deliver
[10:36] the services people the city need want
[10:39] and
[10:42] deserve
[10:44] but just to to gut those is a mistake
[10:49] and it will hinder my ability and the
[10:51] department heads to manage the city and
[10:53] deliver the services that we need and
[10:57] again if you tell me what your goal is
[11:00] if you want to cut Public
[11:03] Safety let me go back to the department
[11:05] heads and say this is the number the
[11:07] counsel wants out of there and we'll
[11:09] manage that if you want to do stuff in
[11:12] office of General Services tell me what
[11:14] your dollar figure is because you're not
[11:16] going through the line by line and
[11:20] having the department heads bring up the
[11:22] assumptions that we've used to come up
[11:24] with that dollar figure so I want to
[11:28] work with you but I don't want to go
[11:30] down a path here where you're kind of
[11:33] you shifted everything back made one
[11:35] decision shifting everything back and
[11:37] now you're going to take another
[11:39] position that seems to be what the trend
[11:41] is that I really think would be an
[11:44] adverse uh State for the city and hinder
[11:48] my ability uh in department heads to
[11:50] manage the city going
[11:52] forward Miss Patrick um I think that
[11:56] working on the budget is the most
[11:58] important respons responsibility of the
[11:59] city council I think we all can agree on
[12:01] that and I think that we certainly have
[12:03] done a lot of due diligence over the
[12:05] last several weeks I actually wrote
[12:07] something up this afternoon after
[12:09] spending the afternoon contemplating all
[12:11] that we've heard over these last few
[12:12] weeks from the mayor our finance team um
[12:15] and our department heads and all the
[12:17] answers they have provided to our
[12:18] questions I believe they have presented
[12:20] a realistic fair and balanced budget to
[12:23] continue reiterating the same points
[12:25] over and over is unnecessary I've
[12:27] certainly been told that many times by
[12:28] my colleagues around this table over the
[12:30] last few weeks however I do want to say
[12:32] I'm not in favor of cutting into the
[12:34] reserve Fund in a way that will
[12:35] jeopardize the city's fiscal Health as
[12:37] was presented to us um by our fiscal
[12:40] adviser and our finance team I believe
[12:42] that the increased water sewer and waste
[12:44] feeds uh fees need to be implemented as
[12:46] presented the decision last year to not
[12:49] Implement what was requested worsened
[12:51] our situation this year and we'll
[12:52] continue to do so next year as we were
[12:55] also uh told yesterday if we don't put
[12:57] these requested fees into place we've
[13:00] made some major investments in improving
[13:02] the water treatment facilities and
[13:03] creating the constructing the new pump
[13:05] station and we Face increased costs and
[13:08] finally I think not fully funding what
[13:09] the fire and police Chiefs have
[13:11] requested in overtime puts our resident
[13:13] safety um at risk and I cannot support
[13:16] that as I mentioned uh many times um
[13:19] therefore I'm recommending that we
[13:21] accept the mayor's budget and I ask that
[13:23] the finance committee um finalize their
[13:25] vote so we can move on with our business
[13:29] thank you and just for clarification
[13:31] you're canting your comments yesterday
[13:34] yeah um I I I spent the afternoon really
[13:37] going back over everything as we
[13:39] discussed last night that that was what
[13:41] we needed to do today and I really think
[13:43] that it is a fair a fe budget as
[13:46] presented and I'm I'm not going to talk
[13:48] anymore I don't think tonight thank you
[13:52] so with regard what mer said we thought
[13:54] we came to the table when we we were
[13:56] going to put the 2.5 million into the
[13:57] sewer fun but when we got to the table
[14:00] that night we were presenting with
[14:01] information uh from you that that is not
[14:04] something we could so we believed we
[14:05] were at a place where we want to pass
[14:07] that budget however we were not able to
[14:09] do that um then uh we heard from Miss
[14:12] Patrick as well as from the fire
[14:14] department we came back again and and re
[14:16] and put some of the money back so um I
[14:19] just want to just State publicly that we
[14:21] have gotten to the place where we
[14:22] thought we could pass the budget but
[14:24] there are those who agreed at some point
[14:26] but now disagree that we should go back
[14:29] to originally so um what even though
[14:31] last night I thought we were closer
[14:33] based on our conversation but now I'm
[14:35] hearing that we're not we should go
[14:36] straight back to the mayor's budget um
[14:39] we have heard from residents at least I
[14:41] have in terms of increase in the water
[14:43] and sewer fees and there are those who
[14:45] are going to say well it's only this
[14:46] much a year but with the median income
[14:48] in the city connected we have a city
[14:50] that's like basically the has and have
[14:52] not so let's just put it out there and
[14:54] there are people who called email text
[14:56] said this is going to impact me so we
[15:00] have to listen to that and so what are
[15:04] our other Alternatives we need to
[15:05] increase our Revenue so that that
[15:08] becomes better and then we need to look
[15:09] at places that maybe we can get more
[15:10] Revenue that maybe we're not getting the
[15:11] best we can so um so the bottom line
[15:15] probably in this is is that we don't
[15:17] want to increase our fees for our
[15:20] residents and we thought we could we
[15:22] were going to be able to get there by
[15:24] taking out some of the um positions
[15:26] there are positions that have not been
[15:28] filled in years and what happens is that
[15:30] when there's a shortfall some play sales
[15:32] they take the money out of that so it's
[15:34] not like there's anybody losing their
[15:35] job just want to be clear about that
[15:37] those positions aren't filled haven't
[15:39] been filled so that was why or some of
[15:42] them were new positions that were being
[15:44] added to the budget so it's not like
[15:46] anyone has has lost their job or has
[15:48] been in the job for the last three years
[15:50] for most of them so we are looking we're
[15:53] looking at that to get to that number of
[15:56] 777000 We Still um put that all the
[15:59] money into the um Public Safety budget
[16:02] which is was like a hard stop for some
[16:05] people and having said that it's it's
[16:09] those of us who are willing to have
[16:10] discussions and make uh agreements to
[16:13] get to that place so that was a hard
[16:16] stop for other people that was
[16:18] recognized but we're also recognizing
[16:20] we're not trying to increase anything
[16:22] for our residents whether it be um taxes
[16:24] or soore and water and so we were trying
[16:26] to get there our original place we we
[16:28] were there with 2.5 million we're told
[16:30] we can't spend it even though I mean if
[16:33] there's other places that have done that
[16:34] I gave you the information last night
[16:36] where you know it went up to CC court
[16:38] and they said it was unconstitutionally
[16:39] they say that they couldn't do it
[16:41] however it hasn't happened in the state
[16:42] of New York so I'm not willing to roll
[16:43] with dice on that so um I'm of still the
[16:47] mindset that we and and additionally
[16:50] initially we said no sewer and water and
[16:53] then last night we said half of that so
[16:56] again yes well again I don't think we
[16:59] all agreed on that just mention but my
[17:01] point is in initially initially it was for Mr M that was a hard stop he
[17:06] was like absolutely none last night he
[17:09] left this table saying I would go at 50%
[17:12] if we if we could actually quite frankly
[17:15] getting you on board with it and you
[17:17] said yes last night so but I see that
[17:20] yeah I did spend a lot of really going
[17:24] back over I think that we just are
[17:25] nitpicking at some of the staff
[17:27] positions for example
[17:29] and trying to like put together from
[17:32] bits and
[17:34] pieces it just it just doesn't make
[17:36] sense when we have in front of us a
[17:38] balanced budget but I mean I'd like to
[17:40] hear from other people right but I would
[17:42] say leaving last night it made sense how
[17:44] to get this budget passed and I was
[17:46] functioning with that understanding
[17:47] today of how to ensure that I met your
[17:50] ask was changed at some point and I
[17:52] respect it however I didn't find out
[17:54] till right now having heard of from a
[17:57] number of different individuals that
[17:59] function within the city uh City Hall um
[18:02] there have been vacancies opening open
[18:04] for a consecutive amount of months in
[18:07] some instances years my understanding
[18:09] from my management background is are we
[18:12] hindering applicants from coming forward
[18:14] or we uh knowingly uh just keeping these
[18:20] vacancies open with no intentions of
[18:22] ever uh hiring into them and my
[18:25] understanding is we need to make sure
[18:28] that we are accurately that we are
[18:29] accurately utilizing every funding
[18:31] stream available before we increase
[18:34] taxes so in looking at these and hearing
[18:37] from a number of individuals that are
[18:38] currently sitting here to knowingly pass
[18:41] a budget that doesn't do any one step to
[18:46] um increase opportunities to get
[18:47] individuals hired we've talked about
[18:50] these vacancies and we are taking off
[18:52] positions that are currently posted with
[18:55] the understanding of we cannot remove a
[18:57] position that is uh being openly
[18:59] advertised for but to continue to fund
[19:01] positions with no intent or no
[19:03] concertive effort to bring people into
[19:06] this uh City Hall I I can't support
[19:11] that Mr R Mr chairman would you outline
[19:14] those positions that you're talking
[19:16] about I'll have department heads address
[19:21] them I can I think allowing some of the
[19:24] other council members to speak before we
[19:25] sure transition
[19:27] that
[19:30] personally I would like to hear from
[19:31] department heads as the marage has
[19:33] suggested on what what positions that
[19:36] may have and again just coming out of Co
[19:39] all right that's in the past there was
[19:41] no one looking for position so you
[19:42] couldn't hire anyone but anyway I would
[19:44] like to definitely hear how you would
[19:46] run each of your departments without the
[19:48] proper um Personnel in it that's what I
[19:51] would personally like to hear
[19:54] Mr I just want to add that all these
[19:57] positions they are currently advertised
[19:59] and being up on the board and we're
[20:02] always trying to uh uh get people in
[20:05] that the only one is today I think the
[20:07] clerical aid for your department think
[20:10] is has not not
[20:12] aded she only resigned two days ago
[20:15] right the
[20:16] rest always is up in advertising from
[20:21] the position my next comment would be if these advertisements are continuously
[20:26] posted do we do any auditing
[20:28] of the accuracy of those postings and do
[20:31] any changing in real time to to
[20:35] adjust and some of these have been
[20:37] vacant since 2021 and maybe before and I only say 2021 because our the data
[20:42] sheet that we're giving only goes back
[20:44] to 2021 maybe she we should have gone
[20:46] back five years and see how long they've
[20:47] been
[20:49] open Mr Mayor and
[20:52] again we do the posting we do the
[20:54] recruitment we take
[20:57] referrals
[20:59] all these positions are civil
[21:02] service and we've seen since Co where
[21:05] they stopped giving tests you know the
[21:07] easiest thing is when everything works
[21:10] right there's a
[21:12] position There are rules that we have to
[21:15] follow to hire and they've taken a
[21:18] competitive test we're given a list of
[21:20] names and those people can be
[21:23] interviewed and then appointed to the
[21:25] position some of this now
[21:29] we don't have valid lists uh sometimes
[21:32] they're running tests which I don't
[21:34] quite understand some of the theory
[21:36] behind them
[21:39] but it's frustrating so that people also
[21:43] sometimes don't want to take a position
[21:46] because they have some stability where
[21:48] they are and if they take a position
[21:50] here we have to tell them this is a
[21:52] competitive civil service position we're
[21:55] not quite sure when the test is going to
[21:57] be given
[21:58] and I say sometimes we do a lot of times
[22:00] we don't but if we hire you you have to
[22:03] score in the top three in order to be
[22:07] appointed on a permanent basis and that
[22:11] hinders the ability to recruit somebody
[22:13] because they don't want to give up some
[22:14] level of stability for something that's
[22:16] perceived to be more of a risky
[22:20] undertaking Mr F so excuse me to your
[22:23] point Mr Mayor I think that there are
[22:25] some things that are outside the realm
[22:27] of our control as far as recruitment
[22:29] goes well not recruitment goes but as
[22:31] far as you know Finding qualified
[22:34] candidates um especially regards to the
[22:36] Civil Service process so I guess my
[22:38] question then is um and I really welcome
[22:41] um feedback from all council members and
[22:44] everyone here so does that mean that if if if we
[22:49] realistically can't are there some
[22:51] positions here that we have tried to
[22:54] fail not due to um any fault of our own
[22:59] but just haven't been able to feel that
[23:01] maybe we should look at removing in
[23:03] order to um more uh efficiently spend
[23:07] that
[23:10] money and and I don't I guess I should
[23:13] just tell that by saying right that may
[23:15] be a possibility I to right I don't
[23:18] think that it's a you know I I think we
[23:21] definitely want to move um from the
[23:23] place of like either or and just kind of
[23:26] talk about where does it make sense and if it makes sense um then then then let's go in that
[23:39] direction Mr you have any comments
[23:41] before
[23:43] I so I say one of the main questions and
[23:47] I I always like to to preface being a
[23:50] new council member I think that
[23:52] functioning in the the veil of what's
[23:54] appropriate and what's not appropriate
[23:55] to us but I think as long as you put
[23:57] forth a considered effort of wanting to
[23:59] just get to the bottom line uh I fielded
[24:01] a lot of questions with regards to the
[24:03] uh meos and just how this is a
[24:06] detrimental position for our community
[24:09] and truly uh Bears a lot of the weight
[24:13] with respect to uh trash and also with
[24:16] upcoming snow removal and as we beautify
[24:18] our Parks making sure that those areas
[24:20] stay consistently uh uh uh clean moving
[24:23] forward uh has there been any uh
[24:28] entertainment of conversations to
[24:30] specify these positions as opposed to
[24:32] putting out a broader ask of a general
[24:35] job
[24:37] announcement I have said that they
[24:39] should be posted with
[24:41] the position we would like to put them
[24:44] in some I understand they're still going
[24:47] out
[24:48] generically where when you're in that
[24:51] title you can work in different
[24:54] departments at different times and in
[24:57] fact that's part of the flexibility
[24:58] where employees are cross trained so
[25:00] they can be moved where the workload is
[25:04] and if you have specific questions Mr
[25:06] lefon can address it oh if you would
[25:09] mind Mr Leon I I think I identifying
[25:13] your openness to specifying those job
[25:15] announcements if it truly is from the
[25:17] standpoint of what is the efficacy of
[25:20] our generalized approach and if that is
[25:24] not yielding any increase in applicants
[25:28] what behooves US of transitioning our
[25:30] train of thought with Rec the M position
[25:33] under it current job
[25:35] description um requires a CD license 90%
[25:39] of our equipment that the MEO are
[25:41] driving is a dumb truck salt spread a p
[25:45] truck or a packer under dot rules and
[25:49] regulations you have to hold and
[25:50] maintain a cdlb licensed so meos are
[25:55] going to be required to have a CDL
[25:56] license to um we'll be honest that you
[25:59] know we' made an attempt to bring up
[26:01] some of the salaries to meos um to make
[26:04] it more attractive um this past year
[26:08] um again it's a recruitment um somebody
[26:12] with a CDL license be can move into
[26:15] another position somewhere else and make
[26:17] more money um I've looked at the list
[26:21] I've looked at where the vacancies are
[26:23] um it was made that there is a there are
[26:26] two vacancies Within Department that
[26:28] they are new requests that was made
[26:31] after talking to my department heads
[26:33] when we do a budget I go over with my
[26:35] department heads and we look at the
[26:36] needs the workforce that we need to
[26:38] maintain a quality level of service to
[26:39] the back of the city okay but it's not
[26:43] known as the logistics during the days
[26:45] of the park that two meos will move into
[26:49] what we call um ground Keepers and they
[26:52] will take care of the ball fields soccer
[26:54] fields softball fields for the whole
[26:56] entire summmer that means my Workforce
[26:58] for regular meos to do the other
[27:00] maintenance on islands and Parks which
[27:02] we have 31 Parks drops by two so the
[27:06] request was to request two more meos in
[27:09] the parks department to fill that void
[27:12] all summer long that we lose the other
[27:15] um in the street department what people
[27:18] have realize is we have a Workforce
[27:20] where most of our employees have been
[27:22] here five years or more they get four
[27:26] weeks off vacation
[27:28] you got 10 employees they all take your
[27:30] four weeks for the year I've lost one
[27:32] employee for 40 weeks i' lost them for a
[27:34] whole year so those'll set employees
[27:36] down down to nine for that year take the
[27:38] VAC take the sick leave take the
[27:40] personal leave take the bement leave
[27:42] take the family medical leave take the
[27:44] workers come out of those 10 employees I
[27:47] probably have seven to work with so
[27:50] there are vacancies because we'd like to
[27:52] get those filled because we never have a
[27:54] full Workforce there is somebody always
[27:59] out whether it's like I said comp
[28:03] vacation personal sick they're entitled
[28:06] to those days they take those days but
[28:08] it's a loss of a body on the workforce
[28:12] so and the sense of the waste division
[28:15] there's eight meos we utilize those meos
[28:18] to help with the season we also have an
[28:21] agreement with the Union to help train
[28:22] some of those employees so that if they
[28:25] do start as a seasonal and and they're a
[28:28] good work good work at it they come the
[28:29] work they move to a temporary position
[28:32] they get a little bit of benefits they
[28:34] get a little more pay and then they work
[28:36] towards their CPL license they get the
[28:38] permit we give them drive time we
[28:41] started a program where we'll have the
[28:43] CDL trainers inous to train them so they
[28:47] can take the road test and keeping some
[28:50] of those positions gives them the
[28:52] incentive to do that so they can be
[28:54] recommended to a full-time position with
[28:56] benefits and the extra salary for their
[28:59] families positions are removed what's
[29:01] the incentive for somebody to come here
[29:03] and try and
[29:06] grow but but I'd say to a point of
[29:10] clarity does that request for the meos
[29:14] for waste and the MOs for Park is that a
[29:17] generic 10 job vacancy announcement or
[29:20] does it specifically ask for two meos
[29:23] for sewer and then two or then eight
[29:26] right now it's pretty much generic
[29:27] because we move them around we can
[29:29] change that but what happens is when you
[29:31] need people a on a good day we don't
[29:34] need anybody in waste on a bad day we
[29:37] may have to go to another department and
[29:39] say we need some people to helping waste
[29:41] we need some NEOS um if they're locked
[29:44] into that department and they say we
[29:46] don't have to go there what do I do with
[29:48] the waste how do I pick it
[29:50] up I spent enough time on the back of
[29:52] the garbage truck even as the
[29:53] commissioner picking up the weight from
[29:55] the trash so have my other department
[29:57] heads and managers within the
[29:58] Departments so we have to have some
[30:00] flexibility okay to move some employees
[30:03] around good example is we move them all
[30:05] around coming December 4th I put the
[30:07] memo out today um we all move to third
[30:10] shift we have third shift that starts
[30:12] winter winter monst for snow it's 3:00
[30:15] a.m. in the morning to 11: we ask for
[30:17] volunteers volunteers first so that we
[30:20] try and get the volunteers that want to
[30:21] come on the third shift then if not then
[30:24] by seniority within the classification
[30:26] class classication in needing the
[30:28] agreement is meos that is their
[30:30] classification this year we were
[30:32] fortunate we have nine volunteers take
[30:34] it so nobody had to go on the night
[30:37] shift if they want to um but again we
[30:39] have Parks employees going to the night
[30:42] shift beginning on Monday the 4th of
[30:43] December SE division employees and
[30:46] Street Department Division and just so
[30:48] we can keep the streets clear get salt
[30:50] on the ground starting early in the
[30:51] morning before Traffic Rush Hour starts
[30:54] so NEOS are vital position with the city
[30:57] but again we have to have some open
[30:59] positions because there has to be room
[31:00] for some of the employees that are
[31:01] growing within us that we're training to
[31:04] have a position to move into and we need
[31:07] them filled eventually because like I
[31:09] said with all the time off that employee
[31:11] given we never have a full staff every
[31:14] day and I would say based on that uh
[31:17] description which I truly appreciate
[31:20] what I'm hearing is there's a need for
[31:22] more Staffing so from The Sounds
[31:25] flexibility is not a luxury that we
[31:27] currently have because we just need the
[31:29] staff if I didn't need the staff I
[31:31] wouldn't have requested anything in the
[31:33] budget like I guess what I'm saying the
[31:35] flexibility of being specific or or
[31:37] being too generic wanting to disperse
[31:39] staff throughout the needs of the
[31:41] Departments we just need staff we need
[31:43] that so then again we have Services we
[31:46] provide whether it's snow whether it's
[31:47] waste whether it's cutting wwns whether
[31:49] maintaining City own vacant properties
[31:52] we need staff Meo is the you know
[31:56] because of the
[31:57] they are flexible and snow
[32:01] removal without a c I can't put them in a dump truck I can't put them in a p
[32:05] i can't put them in a Assa
[32:09] SP I'm sorry Mr pres no I was just um
[32:12] listening to what Mr saying and I think
[32:14] that the fact that he's cross trained
[32:16] these employees you know I just I
[32:19] appreciate that as far as the level of
[32:21] you know um to be effective and and
[32:24] maintain a certain level of service for
[32:26] the city um and I know that historically
[32:30] you know when I you know seen the mayor
[32:33] out at um this place or that place you
[32:36] know we're constantly talking up about
[32:38] he's consistently saying like you know
[32:40] trying to recruit people so it becomes
[32:42] all of our um unofficial title to
[32:45] recruit people um but to your point uh
[32:48] Mr Leon we also are competing with area
[32:51] municipalities and we have to keep some
[32:54] of those positions in place for for
[32:57] someone has a position to Aspire to
[32:59] right
[33:01] okay um and do we have um any of the
[33:06] positions that might not be um I guess
[33:09] for lack of better term some of the
[33:11] positions that are are aspirational
[33:13] positions for guys that we could that
[33:16] within your thought that we could um
[33:20] remove in order to um uh use that money
[33:23] more effectively or just based on your
[33:26] wealth of knowledge experience that
[33:27] that's just not the
[33:28] case I guess part of my voice it's not
[33:31] Co by the way the goal is to I mean
[33:34] employees starts you know it's a
[33:36] seasonal it's more of an entry level
[33:38] position and some of them are very
[33:40] content being a seasonal they don't want
[33:42] to they don't want to move up to obtain
[33:45] their license yeah but we still need a
[33:47] labor force right we still need some
[33:48] people on the back of that truck to help
[33:51] us load out trash or blow leaves or help
[33:55] with the tree and picking up
[33:57] there still a labor force and I did
[34:00] request in the budget there is a request
[34:02] there's some people in there as a labor
[34:04] loaders um to really bring some people
[34:08] on board that don't have the aspiration
[34:10] to move up but I need some good labor
[34:13] force people okay and they deserve the
[34:17] benefits but we're working with a very
[34:19] slim Workforce we've been doing it for
[34:21] years and we've been trying for years to
[34:23] bring that Workforce up but you always
[34:25] have to have a few open
[34:29] positions you know to bring that person
[34:31] that started at the bottom who's gone to
[34:34] that that training and obtain his
[34:36] license to give him you know home with
[34:39] the city hope make get a career
[34:42] here if you filled every
[34:45] phys you got to wait for somebody to
[34:47] retire and hire
[34:49] somebody so not counting the proposed
[34:53] bills for
[34:54] 2024 how many vacancies do you have
[34:59] El yes you have the list I believe there
[35:02] is eight in the was Department three in
[35:06] the bureau service and two in the parks
[35:08] department pleas
[35:10] includ yeah I want to know what you have
[35:12] in just 23 this includes 24 as well yeah
[35:16] the only only difference will be the two
[35:19] in so you have six vacancies right now
[35:22] eight and three 11 you have 11 vacancies
[35:26] uh
[35:27] they don't have it in front of
[35:30] me but you have to understand that some
[35:32] of those vacancies within the waste
[35:33] department are providing the funding for
[35:35] the seasonals who are working as the
[35:37] laborers if you look at the actual
[35:39] year-to dat expenses I think Anthony can
[35:41] tell you is some that money is being
[35:43] used but it's being used to fund the
[35:46] seasonal employees
[35:49] oh now didn't you just I was told that
[35:52] seasonals just recently got laid off you
[35:54] let the seasonals go we always have of
[35:57] uh a Workforce of seasal the seasonals
[36:00] are here for 6 months okay some of the
[36:02] seasonals uh we keep a number of season
[36:05] on in the waste department because
[36:06] they're working on the back of the um
[36:08] the trash trucks because they don't have
[36:11] currently they don't have a CDL license
[36:13] and I stated if they come in as a
[36:15] seasonal and they don't want to work
[36:17] towards their license we will give them
[36:19] they get their permit we will give them
[36:20] the drive time we will give them the
[36:22] opportunity to take the road test if
[36:23] they pass it a recommendation would be
[36:25] made to meet them perur ml because now
[36:27] they need the qualifications of an ml
[36:30] because they have a class B
[36:32] license but if the vacancy doesn't
[36:35] exist they're not going to get to the
[36:37] Nao
[36:39] position some of these positions have
[36:41] been longterm
[36:43] like is that correct have long
[36:47] term some probably in the waste debate
[36:49] has been long term there's two positions
[36:51] in
[36:52] ARA they're they're there again it goes
[36:55] to reproving
[36:57] you you have to you have to have the CDL
[37:00] if you want to fill an Meo position and
[37:02] right now we go out to the board the the
[37:05] advertisement is there we did hire one
[37:08] last week um so we are constantly
[37:11] looking and constantly trying to fill
[37:12] those positions it's not there just to
[37:16] take
[37:18] up funding they positions that are
[37:21] needed if I could fill them all I'd be
[37:25] grateful Mr Mayor
[37:27] in that us to do the
[37:29] perdum if you want to delete an Meo and
[37:32] move the money over to
[37:35] perdum we could do that the reality is
[37:38] the goal is to try and hire the
[37:40] MEO with the CDL so that they're greater
[37:44] value employee if we don't have that
[37:47] then we still staff with people who you
[37:51] know don't have the certification and
[37:53] we're trying to create an incentivized
[37:57] uh program that we made some
[37:59] modifications with the collective
[38:00] bargaining agreement to uh map out a
[38:03] clear path so that when people come in
[38:06] they understand that there's an
[38:07] opportunity in front of them but they
[38:08] have to meet certain things and we want
[38:10] to work with them to get the permit of
[38:13] take the test and have the CDL license
[38:16] and hopefully when they have it is that
[38:18] they will stay here because in today's
[38:21] market our pay scale is on the lower end
[38:26] of of the pay
[38:28] range the benefit package the total
[38:31] package we give is very good but when
[38:33] you have younger employes they tend to
[38:36] just look at what's in their paycheck
[38:37] and not the health insurance not the
[38:39] retirement not some of the other
[38:41] benefits that uh are really a great uh
[38:45] component of the city's overall package
[38:48] which is my my point directly where the
[38:51] desire is to bring in this uh on well
[38:56] experienced staff member year
[38:59] one does that desire evolve if that
[39:02] vacancy remains such if not increasing
[39:04] into year two year three year
[39:06] four where case in point and truly I
[39:10] think this is another reflection of why
[39:13] our city is called the electric city um
[39:16] Mr our chief Marino and instituting the
[39:19] EM program I think that that is a truly
[39:21] adaptive concept to trying to get ahead
[39:24] of retention and recruitment issues
[39:27] and I think replicating that in other
[39:29] facets of our local government is going
[39:31] to be one of the approaches to simar to
[39:33] the law office where if we can't bring
[39:35] in assisant corporation councils how do
[39:38] we make use of light work let's
[39:41] potentially bring in some par legals and
[39:42] not reduce those assistant Corporation
[39:45] councils to zero because Mr colon would
[39:48] still like to have another uh well
[39:50] experienced or specialized individual
[39:52] but truly if that vacancy
[39:55] extends one year two years three years I
[39:58] think it is prudent upon us to evaluate
[40:01] how effective are our job
[40:05] announcements which goes back to if I
[40:08] like Parks I like parks and I understand
[40:10] the mission of uh or the intent of the
[40:13] department to use those more as a
[40:15] transient Workforce so that you can
[40:17] accommodate some needs uh globally in
[40:19] our city but I I imagine Mr lefon you
[40:23] would take any Meo if they were
[40:26] president
[40:27] uh so would you be opening would you be
[40:29] open to having a specialized job
[40:33] announcement meaning you're hired for
[40:35] the
[40:36] parkday to get to get a person in the
[40:39] door
[40:44] yes an Meo is an Meo as long he has a
[40:47] CDL license they got to be able to plow
[40:49] sow and saw my biggest thing if you look
[40:51] where the most vacancies are in the
[40:53] waist or in the street department the
[40:55] parks Department M were a request for
[40:59] this coming year for 24 there were no
[41:01] openings in the past years okay so that
[41:03] was to help increase the labor force
[41:06] just because of the amount of work we
[41:07] have in the Parks new people coming
[41:09] online um you know we we just need the
[41:13] workforce the other is the street
[41:16] department the street department does
[41:19] work with the sewer department in the
[41:21] winter mons snow all get the streets
[41:24] pled the city is connected we all get
[41:26] the phone calls eventually I'll come
[41:28] back to me okay but when they have a
[41:31] workforce out there and um three drivers
[41:33] down um Stow comes in we request
[41:37] overtime they want to come in for the
[41:39] overtime they come in if they don't they
[41:41] stay home guys will come in and drive
[41:43] for an additional 5 hours or so six
[41:45] hours they get TI driving that truck I
[41:47] don't have additional meos to replace
[41:49] them in the seat that truck sits in the yard somebody streets aren't
[41:53] getting done I need a Workforce I need
[41:56] meos to be able to drive solve do the
[42:00] things we need them to do budget that I
[42:03] put forth to the mayor as a request for
[42:05] the staff that I feel is needed to do
[42:08] the job we
[42:09] do it's your decision whether or not to
[42:12] accept it change it cut it the number of fills I gave you is what I
[42:18] feel is
[42:19] [Music]
[42:20] needed but that's also based on the
[42:22] number of applicants we
[42:24] receive abely trying yes there's there's vacancies all around the city we
[42:30] like consistently to fill that
[42:32] understand because we have
[42:38] needs so I know that was one um
[42:42] Department specifically were there any
[42:44] other areas uh appreciate Miss Patrick's
[42:48] comments uh asked the collect Council to
[42:50] come back with some recommendations uh
[42:53] and
[42:55] with respect open the
[42:59] floor no okay it's
[43:08] department so I think at this present
[43:11] time I'm truly trying not to speak for
[43:12] Mr murar I know he was highlighting uh
[43:16] the uh fees for uh for
[43:20] service as an intentional
[43:25] line
[43:28] so again we trying to get to
[43:31] 777000 Mr mavari um he was considering
[43:36] the um looking at the fees for services
[43:39] how much we spent year to date and if
[43:40] possible a reduction in those Feast for
[43:42] services to get to that number um I
[43:45] don't know if we're just like spinning
[43:46] our Wheels here since we know that that
[43:49] we Patrick would not be on board with any any changes but I don't I mean
[43:54] it's really the finance committee that
[43:55] has to passed the budget out of finance
[43:57] committee so I don't have a vote there
[43:58] anyway I was just making a statement
[44:02] so encouraging us to move forward
[44:06] because we've you know been going line
[44:08] by line through everything now
[44:10] for some
[44:22] time was your ra no
[44:30] I would say even if it was conceivably
[44:31] possible I don't think me and Mr Al
[44:34] would would get to an agreement at this
[44:35] juncture I I truly I spent my day today
[44:39] trying
[44:40] to understand how to get closer to your
[44:42] ask so hearing that today then my whole
[44:46] framework of interacting in this
[44:47] conversation shifts
[44:54] dramatically
[45:07] so we have to it has to we have to get a
[45:09] budget pass out of the finance committee
[45:11] order for move
[45:12] forward um
[45:16] so you haven't really stayed your
[45:18] position but if you my position's been
[45:20] clear from day one I will not support
[45:22] anything that builds a structural
[45:24] deficit in into the budget that's what's
[45:28] happening here I will not support that
[45:31] and I'm also a little confused because
[45:34] you know we've been hearing for the past
[45:36] year and a half two years we have to
[45:38] fill the positions we have to fill the
[45:40] positions now all of a sudden we don't
[45:42] want to spill positions and this is a
[45:44] sustainable
[45:46] plan to create the workforce that's
[45:49] necessary to get the job done that we
[45:51] the citizens
[45:52] expect I'm not supporting anything that puts a deficit into the into the
[45:57] budget okay so just to be clear yes we
[46:00] had said we need to fill position but it
[46:02] hasn't happened it's not up to the
[46:04] council to fill positions we can make
[46:06] recommendations some of us have some of
[46:08] those people have been hired some of
[46:09] those people have not so it's not up to
[46:11] us so yes we have been advocating but
[46:13] they haven't been filled so right now
[46:15] we're facing the reality that they
[46:17] haven't been filled for multiple
[46:19] years and so if if it comes to the point
[46:23] where they need to be we could
[46:25] definitely we it but right now it hasn't
[46:27] happened so it's not something we're
[46:29] making up it's sitting right in front of
[46:31] you the
[46:33] facts and all it does is create a
[46:35] structural deficit into this the
[46:39] budget so how do you propose that we not
[46:41] have a fe increase that we consider our
[46:43] taxpayers who are reaching out to
[46:46] us we have to have Fe increase if we
[46:49] don't want a deficit built in that's
[46:52] just the facts we all approved the the
[46:55] water um The Pump Station that's a
[46:58] million dollar payment a
[47:00] year it's got to come from somewhere and
[47:03] unfortunately none of us wants to raise
[47:05] fees or taxes none of us I'm assuming
[47:09] but I'm I'll think I'm pretty safe in
[47:12] that assumption but the fact is the fact
[47:16] we have a situation where if we do
[47:19] anything else we've created a structural
[47:21] deficit that's only going to make the
[47:23] problem worse 1 2 3 years down the road
[47:26] unless we look at some very strong ways
[47:28] of increasing our our revenue and we say
[47:30] that every year to your point and we get
[47:32] nowhere that's right so then we have to
[47:34] like make it a point that we do that
[47:36] because every we can't consistently say
[47:39] to taxpayers you have to do more and more in terms of of footing our
[47:43] bill when we I'm going to say
[47:46] collectively because we are the
[47:47] legislative body I understand the mayor
[47:49] the administrative body are not doing
[47:51] anything to increase the revenue so we
[47:52] need to really make a concerted effort
[47:54] to do that because I'm hearing from
[47:56] taxpayers all the time and perh and I
[47:58] understand that some people like well I
[48:00] hear from somebody I was talking to
[48:02] someone and they said well I I was
[48:04] talking to people that they were like or
[48:06] a person they were like oh that's not a
[48:07] big deal and I say I understand that but
[48:09] I'm speaking to people for them it is a
[48:10] big deal so we have to consider everyone
[48:14] so we came to the table like okay it's
[48:16] not a big deal for you it's a big deal
[48:17] for you let's meet halfway in the middle
[48:19] and say we'll do 50% now I'm
[48:21] understanding that nope that's not even
[48:23] good enough so you know
[48:26] we we have to see what's best to balance
[48:28] budget we also have to look out for our
[48:30] taxpayers and for some of us maybe it's
[48:33] a small amount but for some some other
[48:35] people it's it's significant so we have
[48:38] to take that in
[48:40] consideration and if we talk about
[48:42] vacancies again they've they've been
[48:43] multiple year vacancies so um not
[48:46] cutting any positions or not getting
[48:48] anybody out of a job that's currently in
[48:49] a job just want to make that clear Mr
[48:52] chairman Mr again and multiple your
[48:56] vacancies if you take anyone title uh
[48:59] like firefighter police
[49:02] officer this case the
[49:04] NEOS where we have a large number of
[49:06] those
[49:08] employees that Junior position is almost
[49:12] always empty you have retirements in the
[49:16] fire department every year you have
[49:17] retirements in the police department
[49:19] every year so that entry level the first
[49:23] one on the chart is always open but it
[49:27] doesn't mean we're trying not trying to
[49:28] fill that and it's not part of the
[49:30] overall Staffing of the Departments so I
[49:33] think it kind of mischaracterizes it we
[49:35] say they're open for multiple years you
[49:37] have to look at just the hiring process
[49:40] and the reality of life people spend a a
[49:43] career here they retire and or move on
[49:45] to other things but those positions then
[49:48] end up so you'll always look at it and
[49:50] there's going to be an opening in the
[49:51] police department there's going to be an
[49:52] opening in the fire department there'll
[49:53] be an opening for an Meo doesn't mean
[49:56] that we don't want to do it but that's
[49:59] the reality
[50:03] and in the
[50:04] whole talking about the going halfway
[50:08] are you talking about also in the
[50:24] garbage I
[50:28] would I would say based on Mr palam's
[50:31] statement I think we've done a a
[50:33] successful effort at
[50:36] funding uh positions with the intent to
[50:39] bring those into the workforce really
[50:40] well uh but I I would love your
[50:43] recommendation I don't know what
[50:45] organization would
[50:47] successfully uh continue to fund
[50:49] position without adjusting their
[50:51] recruitment
[50:52] efforts I I I I that is not the budget
[50:56] that's human resources so if you want to
[50:58] talk about that that's a separate case I
[51:00] don't have any issue discussing that but
[51:02] now it's the budget you're the guys that
[51:05] came to the table with
[51:08] demands nobody else so if if you want to
[51:12] start from there then we can go from
[51:14] there but uh the human resources is the
[51:17] one with the recruiting not us and I
[51:20] understand your point that can be a
[51:22] discussion at a committee meeting but
[51:25] right now now it's the budget but I
[51:27] would say we just heard from a
[51:28] department chair that says there's no
[51:30] interest in investing that job
[51:32] announcement and if I heard it correctly
[51:35] because there's an ask in the parks
[51:37] department doesn't mean even if he hired
[51:40] that ask would be fulfilled if the need
[51:42] was greater in waste so then my response
[51:44] is if we just need
[51:46] Personnel why are we specifying and
[51:49] let's start with what we
[51:52] have all you're doing is creating a
[51:54] structureal defic that's all you doing
[52:00] period me yeah I just want to clarify
[52:03] that I could I'll go ahead chair I told
[52:06] him to post those by Department reality
[52:10] is when they get higher the need may be
[52:12] different so
[52:16] I'm saying that we've tried I've tried
[52:19] to do that hasn't happened I'll take
[52:21] care of that I'm not sure it's going to
[52:24] get the results that people
[52:27] say but I will have those announcements
[52:32] modified specifically mayor yes thank
[52:35] you sir uh and Mr Ferrari I I think if
[52:38] you specify this Paul tell me if I'm
[52:40] wrong if you're specify you say you only
[52:43] you are a parts M they don't have to go
[52:46] to garbage if you need
[52:48] them that's what you want then I don't
[52:52] know what you want me to do with garbage
[52:53] and the people aren't there Mr thank you
[52:56] um py back off what Mr Leon said um a
[53:01] lot of this is geared by our collective
[53:02] bargaining agreement which talks about
[53:05] the needs that Mr lefon may see at a
[53:08] given point in time and there's
[53:09] flexibility built into that for Mr Leon
[53:12] to assign somebody to fulfill the need
[53:15] based on the title of the position so
[53:17] it's not you know when we're filling an
[53:20] me position there's no me parks right
[53:25] Civil Service world it's just the
[53:26] position we have to assign it to a
[53:28] particular Department um and then within
[53:32] that there's flexibility within the CBA
[53:35] um and the Union's aware of that for Mr
[53:38] Leon to be able to assign based on the
[53:41] need and there's an order that he
[53:43] follows for that based on
[53:47] seniority my response is I I don't see
[53:50] us having the luxury of being particular
[53:52] right now because we just need the
[53:54] workforce
[53:56] [Music]
[54:00] did you hear yes yeah I just want to say
[54:01] that we didn't come to table with our
[54:03] demands we came through the table with
[54:05] our suggestions for the budget which you
[54:07] have done as well in the past so it's
[54:09] not like it's not like the discussion
[54:12] around the budget has always been
[54:14] exactly what the mayor presented my
[54:15] knowledge I don't recall it being ever
[54:18] exactly the budget that came to this
[54:20] table so it's not about demands but it
[54:22] is looking at the budget overall and
[54:24] coming with
[54:25] recommendations um to the budget which
[54:28] most of us have have done before even up
[54:31] till last year um so I just want to
[54:34] clear that it's not demanding it
[54:36] certainly is recommendations and and
[54:37] trying to get to a certain place and so
[54:40] that's what we should be doing to work
[54:42] together and uh I'm sorry that some
[54:45] people feel that that that demands as
[54:46] opposed to
[54:49] recommendations and concessions on on
[54:51] when there is some council members says
[54:54] I absolutely cannot get there it's like
[54:56] okay we can meet you halfway so um this
[55:00] is where we are today and um as we left
[55:02] the table last night we thought we were
[55:05] uh closer than we are today see that
[55:07] things have
[55:10] changed
[55:12] I'm oh I'd like to know I mean looking
[55:14] at the revenue a huge portion of our
[55:17] revenue is in those fees so I don't
[55:20] really see how we me obviously we have
[55:23] the casino that's great
[55:25] um that looks pretty steady but I
[55:28] mean I don't really know how else we
[55:31] could bring in Revenue to the city
[55:35] except through the
[55:36] fees um you know I think and I agree
[55:39] that I don't think any of us want
[55:41] to uh add to the burden of our residents
[55:45] but you know again I think that had we
[55:49] done it last year we might have been in
[55:50] a different spot but again they're not
[55:53] it's you know I don't know if I think
[55:55] Anthony said that last night but looking
[55:57] at this I just don't know how else we
[56:00] would bring in more Revenue we're doing
[56:01] well with the property management sales
[56:03] and um continue to increase that you
[56:06] know every year but I I was wondering
[56:09] what other people felt about what their
[56:10] ideas were for increasing the
[56:12] revenue if not those
[56:17] fees and for the sake of repeating it
[56:19] again I'm not against fee increases that
[56:22] is something that is naturally going to
[56:24] have to happen just based off the
[56:26] Investments that the city has made what
[56:28] I'm against doing as a first step is
[56:31] blanketly stamping our current Staffing
[56:34] model without identifying ways to either
[56:39] improve our recruitment efforts or truly
[56:42] ask the question of are we able to fill
[56:45] this
[56:46] ever and if that question is not
[56:49] answered with an amount of certainty I
[56:52] think passing that tax increase on to
[56:54] residents
[56:55] I I I think that that's not an
[56:58] appropriate way
[57:21] budget so I just said I need to ask the
[57:24] question for first of all we we
[57:25] discussed that we were taking um A3 3412
[57:30] which is FS and um a3120 and a 3122 off
[57:35] the table so are people open to looking
[57:38] at other positions or that's an absolute
[57:40] no then you know in terms of
[57:44] um not filling the vacancies and trying
[57:48] to get to the number that we needed so
[57:51] that's my
[57:53] question mrle so I think that um I'm I'm
[57:58] definitely I'm open to that and I think
[58:00] that what we have to be really approach
[58:02] to this it's not a gotta moment this
[58:04] doesn't have to be a oh you didn't do a
[58:06] good job in getting people I I don't
[58:09] think for a second that Mr Lan is out
[58:12] saying oh qualified guys and and and and men and women don't come
[58:17] here I don't think that's what he's
[58:18] doing he's actually I'm very much uh
[58:22] sure that he is out trying to get
[58:24] qualified people to help maintain the
[58:26] service of cities the job market is what
[58:28] it is it is a changing job market so a
[58:31] lot of this conversation is not about
[58:34] necessarily laying on the feet of
[58:36] someone around um their inability of
[58:39] effective recruitment but it is
[58:41] recognizing the market that we're in and
[58:43] so then it's like well if we're unable
[58:45] to do that with our resources what are
[58:47] some of the other things we do and where
[58:49] can we better use this money and I think
[58:51] if we approach it from that to the
[58:53] mayor's point and I appre appreciate his
[58:55] um flexibility to say hey look if that's
[58:57] what we're talking about let's Identify
[58:59] some of those positions and then let's
[59:01] see if that's a um a feasible way of
[59:03] doing
[59:04] things I'm just going to say that I
[59:06] think that we get where we start to dig
[59:08] our heels in um
[59:10] and if what's happening right now isn't
[59:13] working then it
[59:16] does you know compel us to have a
[59:19] certain level of scrutiny and it's not
[59:21] about who did what or didn't do what
[59:23] it's about relying on each other to be
[59:26] Innovative to help along with the
[59:27] process and I think if we use that lens
[59:29] we'll be much better off if not we're
[59:31] just going to be sitting here thr in our
[59:33] thumbs let's be honest about
[59:49] that well as the finance chair for
[59:52] today I I I believe we are yet again at in in mass
[59:58] and I know that we are are frustrated
[1:00:01] with the prolonged nature of this budget
[1:00:03] season I guarantee you I would much
[1:00:06] rather be at home looking at my
[1:00:07] daughter's um but this is what the job
[1:00:10] is uh I to digest your new position or I
[1:00:14] guess your your current position uh I
[1:00:19] need time to evaluate I I I I cannot do
[1:00:22] that right on the Fly I I cannot do that
[1:00:24] right as
[1:00:28] so we have heard from depart thank you
[1:00:31] I'd like to hear about the rest of from
[1:00:33] the rest of the department heads here
[1:00:34] this evening um to explain their need U
[1:00:38] of what they put in the budget and uh
[1:00:40] how they need it to go forward as the
[1:00:42] mayor presented it so I would like to
[1:00:44] hear that at least tonight before so you
[1:00:46] can digest that a little bit more we all
[1:00:48] can well the other two Department I
[1:00:51] think I thought the police chief was
[1:00:52] here oh there it is um you want to hear
[1:00:55] from them again because we did hear from
[1:00:56] them before and as I said no I they to
[1:00:58] hear from them again there was a little
[1:01:00] uh confusion last night at last night's
[1:01:01] meeting about wiggle room and I I would
[1:01:04] just like that that clarified a little
[1:01:06] bit so thank
[1:01:07] you Chief Marina Chief
[1:01:11] Marina good evening
[1:01:14] everyone
[1:01:16] um so I just want to be perfectly clear
[1:01:20] uh my position has not wavered from the
[1:01:23] beginning I tried to make it as clear as
[1:01:26] possible through numerous conversations
[1:01:28] with every member of the council through
[1:01:30] emails through text
[1:01:32] messages I I'm not sure if I could be
[1:01:35] any
[1:01:35] clear uh we spoke about the overtime at
[1:01:40] nauseum it is what it is it is
[1:01:44] contractual put in 250,000 that line put
[1:01:48] in 1.5 million that line whatever that
[1:01:51] line is at the end of the year that's
[1:01:53] what it's going to be no way around that
[1:01:56] uh our issues
[1:01:59] are um our
[1:02:02] vacancies we have
[1:02:04] tried continually to fight and we
[1:02:07] continue we I appreciate
[1:02:11] uh uh Mr Williams comment of how we
[1:02:15] trying to be
[1:02:16] Innovative and we are on we have a we
[1:02:20] have a plan for 2024 to fire up to 14
[1:02:24] people I believe and that is based on
[1:02:29] six positions we put in the budget but
[1:02:31] also knowing that there will there may
[1:02:34] be some stakings due to
[1:02:37] retirements I could have put in there 14
[1:02:40] positions and that that line would have
[1:02:42] been astronomical you would
[1:02:44] walk I'm trying to be a good Ste we the
[1:02:47] fire department we're trying to be good
[1:02:48] stewards of our money so we see that
[1:02:53] ability to take those savings and apply
[1:02:56] it to further fers if we do not hire
[1:03:00] those
[1:03:01] people we are in a
[1:03:05] world this problem will continue and it
[1:03:08] will multiply to the point where we just
[1:03:11] won't have
[1:03:13] people so I
[1:03:15] probably repeating myself because I
[1:03:18] haven't wigg I don't know what wiggle
[1:03:21] means I'm not wiggling there is no
[1:03:23] wiggle
[1:03:25] what I have said from the beginning is
[1:03:27] what I say today the overtime is the
[1:03:30] overtime the vacancies are there they
[1:03:32] will continue we're trying to take money
[1:03:35] from potential I don't want to call it
[1:03:38] savings but funds that are there and use
[1:03:41] it to hire it's complicated uh the
[1:03:44] assistant chief myself staff we look at
[1:03:47] it we pull our hair out I'm
[1:03:52] successful here is it it is a very tough
[1:03:56] thing to do we're on track I think we
[1:03:58] can do it but if that money's gone I
[1:04:02] throw my hands up on to
[1:04:04] do so I I appreciate your comments Chief
[1:04:07] I would like to direct the council to um
[1:04:10] the inservice training which is a 3411
[1:04:13] 406 in our budgets uh the additional uh
[1:04:18] education you're talking about is
[1:04:19] highlighted in respect to sending more
[1:04:21] ENT to school and that's currently where
[1:04:24] that how what page are you on page 27
[1:04:27] thank you the 2023 adopted budget was
[1:04:31] $113,000 and based on your comments
[1:04:34] previously uh each student is roughly
[1:04:36] $6,000 plus fees which substantiates
[1:04:40] your increase to $45,000 still
[1:04:43] corre
[1:04:45] without without having my notes in
[1:04:48] because I always like to distribute
[1:04:49] perfect transparent answers understood
[1:04:53] So based on your desire to train more
[1:04:57] students um you identified using some
[1:05:00] funds in other lines to essentially do
[1:05:03] this send more students to school with
[1:05:05] inser training I would say from my
[1:05:08] perspective digesting
[1:05:10] this that would have been clearly stated
[1:05:12] if that number was increased to reflect
[1:05:15] your your ask but you're saying you're
[1:05:17] kind of waiting to leverage some other
[1:05:19] positions as they am I still on
[1:05:23] board
[1:05:25] right based on how I interpreted your
[1:05:28] budget from my
[1:05:32] perspective that that that's what you
[1:05:33] that's that's your investment in
[1:05:35] education great but depending on what
[1:05:38] number we actually settle on if it's
[1:05:40] nine
[1:05:42] emps that figure you you mentioned is
[1:05:46] just to send them to paramedic school
[1:05:49] great not that doesn't include uh the
[1:05:52] fire academy and like I said the way we
[1:05:55] approached it was knowing or hoping that
[1:05:59] there was going to be some funds from
[1:06:05] retirements and that money moving around
[1:06:07] that has been done in the
[1:06:09] past so
[1:06:11] [Music]
[1:06:13] using
[1:06:15] um the budget is what not what we want
[1:06:19] because if we wanted I I had
[1:06:23] conversations wanted a couple things and
[1:06:25] it was perfectly clear you're not
[1:06:27] getting what you want buddy so it's what
[1:06:30] we need and I can stand here honestly
[1:06:33] and tell you that this is what we need
[1:06:36] now if you think we should have
[1:06:38] highlighted that number clearer in
[1:06:41] retrospect maybe but knowing that we
[1:06:45] have that this
[1:06:47] opportunity from people retiring that we
[1:06:49] will have some available funds so that
[1:06:51] is what we've been thaning every time I
[1:06:54] hear I think you've gone away from it
[1:06:56] which I appreciate it but every time I
[1:06:58] hear we'll just take those quote unquote
[1:07:01] savings apply overtime to be honest with
[1:07:04] you I get a major pit in my stomach
[1:07:06] because that knocks out our Hing plan
[1:07:09] and I'm more than willing to sit down
[1:07:11] with all of you to show you all the
[1:07:13] details on how we're going to try to
[1:07:15] accomplish it and bring some uh
[1:07:19] ad but I think one of the the the word
[1:07:22] I'd like to highlight is if and I I know
[1:07:25] you're going to make a conscious effort
[1:07:27] to bring those more students in correct
[1:07:29] but we just heard an account of how
[1:07:32] difficult these expectations are to get
[1:07:35] more staff into these positions so are
[1:07:36] you able to definitively say that number
[1:07:39] of new students will be an
[1:07:41] Ned if I could be 100% on anything I
[1:07:45] would be here I a
[1:07:47] lot I think we can get to where we want
[1:07:51] to be we're working out the civil
[1:07:54] services has kind of highlighted that
[1:07:57] process that's not an easy process uh
[1:08:01] we've gone through the
[1:08:02] list our hiring process takes any words
[1:08:05] from 5 to six
[1:08:07] months we've started it now I think we
[1:08:10] can get to nine
[1:08:14] EMTs and I'm hoping for four paramedics
[1:08:17] that's the only one that could vary a
[1:08:18] little bit five maybe you know I doubt
[1:08:21] it three probably I'm shooting in the
[1:08:24] middle before
[1:08:27] um we have an opportunity this year and
[1:08:30] it's a one time only opportunity to have
[1:08:33] two different paramedic classes the
[1:08:35] traditional class that starts in
[1:08:37] August and there is another class that
[1:08:40] starts in February due to another fire
[1:08:44] department um that just hire a whole
[1:08:47] bunch of people but they started at 21
[1:08:49] they're down to 17 now or 16 and they're
[1:08:51] sending them to a class of all their own
[1:08:55] so being that they went from 21 to 16
[1:08:57] there's some opportunity for us to get
[1:08:59] some people in there so because of that
[1:09:02] we're willing to Pivot normally we send
[1:09:06] it to the fire academy then paramedic
[1:09:07] school for five we're willing to go
[1:09:10] paramedic school first and then the
[1:09:12] academy that presents some
[1:09:15] challenges which we've got to be get on the people that we hire we've got to
[1:09:20] be as certain as possible that they can
[1:09:22] go through the rigers this is no CLE
[1:09:25] paramedic school is extremely difficult
[1:09:27] and the academy is very similar to boot
[1:09:30] camp there's no guarantees of anything
[1:09:34] right that's all I'm highlighting that
[1:09:37] these are opportunities not guarantees
[1:09:40] so that is where we're going to take our
[1:09:42] best shot it's not we're just closing
[1:09:44] our eyes and drawing dos and picking and
[1:09:47] chief we're bringing them through the
[1:09:49] rivers TR right people it's truly worth
[1:09:51] noting that our fire department is
[1:09:52] second to none as the mayor consistently
[1:09:54] says for a reason and that is due to the
[1:09:57] quality of uh paramax and firefighters
[1:10:00] that exist so that is something that is
[1:10:02] non available I I appreciate your
[1:10:04] comments and that goes to the men and
[1:10:06] women that we put on the street every
[1:10:08] day they are
[1:10:09] fallowing they face a lot of things that
[1:10:13] are unmentionable and they show up and
[1:10:15] they're there every day and they're
[1:10:16] working
[1:10:18] over I stand Here proud of them and I
[1:10:20] hope that every member of this council
[1:10:22] is proud of them also
[1:10:24] I think just my position is as I
[1:10:26] collectively uh assess the opportunities
[1:10:28] that exist throughout this
[1:10:30] budget that is where I stand right here
[1:10:33] but I think for your
[1:10:35] coms hopefully I'm clear I try to be
[1:10:44] [Music]
[1:10:50] clear I apologize for my appearance um
[1:10:53] I'm going over to disc connected the wi
[1:10:55] boards influencing change meeting later
[1:10:57] so I have to leave right after this so
[1:11:00] I'm not sure exactly what what the
[1:11:02] question is that you want me to respond
[1:11:04] to um just
[1:11:06] your the positions
[1:11:10] open oh let me just find in here uh so
[1:11:14] you have a position for
[1:11:18] um let me
[1:11:21] find I think a health desk specialist is
[1:11:24] that you uh IPS no
[1:11:28] ips3 and off uh 12 vacant controlled
[1:11:32] officers as well as a dog controlled
[1:11:35] officer so I just want to know uh
[1:11:38] keeping those positions open in that
[1:11:40] those finances there um are you you need
[1:11:43] all those positions um the fs3 job is
[1:11:46] currently filled right now that job is
[1:11:48] being um is being is assisting us with
[1:11:51] our control P little while um so that
[1:11:54] job is right now the open control
[1:11:57] officer class is actually up to 13 now
[1:12:00] um I just got word today that our list
[1:12:03] through civil service will be available
[1:12:05] next week so we're we're already
[1:12:07] clearing up with canvasing that thanks I
[1:12:09] highly doubt we'll be able to take on 13
[1:12:12] new officers we're going to try to
[1:12:14] figure out what a manageable number is
[1:12:16] but we do have a new list so we're
[1:12:17] hopeful that we'll be able to get as
[1:12:19] many officers as we can Animal control
[1:12:22] officer that's a that's a work in
[1:12:25] progress if anybody knows anybody we
[1:12:26] really need a second one our current
[1:12:29] Animal control officer is doing a great
[1:12:31] job um but would be good to have one on
[1:12:33] another shift it is a job that's
[1:12:37] important
[1:12:41] and and as far as your overtime that's
[1:12:45] spe specifically what you need to carry
[1:12:48] out it's it's consistent with years past
[1:12:51] that we spent and you know I I pointed
[1:12:55] out to a couple people that I spoken to
[1:12:57] that it's remained consistent for the
[1:13:00] most part even though we've gotten
[1:13:01] raises over the last few years so I
[1:13:03] think overall we've actually spent less
[1:13:04] overtime hours over the year but
[1:13:08] nevertheless the money stays the same
[1:13:09] it's it's right where we are until we
[1:13:12] become fly staff which we never really
[1:13:14] become fly staff as uh as the May
[1:13:17] pointed out earlier but um we
[1:13:19] continuously try to and that's why we
[1:13:22] need
[1:13:27] um so Chief um appreciate the
[1:13:29] information and she said yes the
[1:13:31] overtime budget is is it you explain why
[1:13:33] but it has on every year consistently so
[1:13:37] um so with that what we hear from the
[1:13:39] public and there always the concerns
[1:13:43] um given the amount of over time that's
[1:13:45] being asked in say we get to that how
[1:13:48] can we expect um an increase in response
[1:13:51] time because that is what one of the
[1:13:53] reasons you say that overtime is needed
[1:13:56] but then on the other but I'm also
[1:13:58] hearing from you as well from the public
[1:14:00] that we saying calls really stacked up
[1:14:02] so I was just wondering how that
[1:14:04] coincides and how we with given it the
[1:14:08] overtime budget requested you're going
[1:14:10] to be able to read that these are things
[1:14:14] that we're working on that's one of the
[1:14:15] reasons that we working with transfinder
[1:14:18] to develop control finder so our
[1:14:20] officers have a better idea calls
[1:14:21] waiting we're working other technologies
[1:14:24] that can help us with that I mean but at
[1:14:26] the end of the day you
[1:14:28] know every we we don't work in a vacuum
[1:14:31] um we we handled 75,000 calls last year
[1:14:34] it's 200 calls a day to do the math in
[1:14:37] your head um and we're probably going to
[1:14:39] exceed that number this year um I think
[1:14:41] Year date when I asked over a month ago
[1:14:44] we're over 60,000 calls so and we handle
[1:14:48] a lot of calls as more calls come in as technology increases the ability for
[1:14:52] people to call us they're doing it and
[1:14:55] um you know we have to respond to these
[1:14:57] to certain calls and you know as the
[1:15:00] calls go up the need for officers goes
[1:15:02] up we don't have those officers to send
[1:15:04] so that's why people wait um the the
[1:15:07] other thing is is that you know our
[1:15:10] unified Communication Center does a
[1:15:11] great job over there um but they have
[1:15:14] staffing issues themselves so sometimes
[1:15:17] people waiting on the line is not uh
[1:15:19] indicative of what we're doing at the
[1:15:21] police department but their operation
[1:15:23] over there and they're limited Staffing
[1:15:25] and they also have we've we're uh we're
[1:15:28] in constant communication with them
[1:15:30] they're very responsive to us and
[1:15:32] recognize their challenges so we're not
[1:15:34] I'm not laying blame on them but it's
[1:15:36] just another factor to take into
[1:15:38] [Music]
[1:15:40] consideration
[1:15:46] [Music]
[1:15:48] thank than
[1:15:52] you
[1:15:54] did you have any other questions Mr T
[1:15:56] points to
[1:15:57] [Music]
[1:15:59] verify I would like to hear
[1:16:02] um you know you say me has way what's
[1:16:08] your plans to address the structural
[1:16:10] deficits that are in in this
[1:16:16] plan what plan are you referring
[1:16:19] to we'll just go with the 50% one the
[1:16:22] fees are 50% because those are the
[1:16:24] latest papers because it's confusing
[1:16:27] with all
[1:16:30] the are you talking about the board the
[1:16:34] 50 or which
[1:16:35] 50% the last plan that uh
[1:16:39] [Music]
[1:16:40] you group had put on the table was a 50%
[1:16:44] fee for water water and sewer but
[1:16:48] inherent in that as well as the other
[1:16:51] aspects of the budget are structural
[1:16:53] deficits how do you plan to address
[1:16:56] those right now we're trying to fill
[1:16:58] that budget gap which we came up with
[1:17:00] yesterday
[1:17:01] 777000 and I'm going forward I know that
[1:17:04] we're going to have to continue look at
[1:17:05] the budget um Mr col so right now we're
[1:17:08] trying to not only increase water and
[1:17:11] sore 50% we are definitely looking at
[1:17:14] taking some of the money from the
[1:17:15] reserves we are we already stuss that
[1:17:18] and um and by removing some of the
[1:17:22] positions that we are not currently
[1:17:25] filled or have not been filled
[1:17:27] consistently getting set number so that
[1:17:29] we can pass this budget so and and
[1:17:32] additionally from from my perspective
[1:17:34] that quarterly we should be looking at
[1:17:36] what our spending looks like what we
[1:17:38] ultimately do is at the end of the year
[1:17:40] we sit around this table um and have
[1:17:42] this discussion so part for me part of
[1:17:44] it is as we go through next year that we
[1:17:48] continue to look at it and see where we
[1:17:50] are what we do differently and how we
[1:17:51] can increase our Revenue I have one
[1:17:53] thought that it's not something that the
[1:17:55] mayor um is part of but it's it's um
[1:17:58] something that you know I would be
[1:18:00] discussing with the individuals who do
[1:18:02] that and see you know that we could have
[1:18:06] increased Revenue there but that doesn't
[1:18:09] answer I mean I'm very specific because
[1:18:12] that's my you you all want to know what
[1:18:14] my thing my thing is a structural
[1:18:16] deficit so how do you how do you plan on
[1:18:19] addressing I just for sake of of having
[1:18:24] a civil conversation um you're saying
[1:18:28] like that you all put together or you
[1:18:31] all are bringing I'm not sure exactly
[1:18:33] who you all is um council members and I
[1:18:37] speak for myself um are uh clearly uh
[1:18:42] capable of independent thought and I
[1:18:44] think that I just would ask for you to
[1:18:46] be a little more specific or just talk
[1:18:48] to whatever council members you're
[1:18:49] addressing because I would say it would
[1:18:51] be Mr mood Mr Williams and Miss
[1:18:55] Porterfield seem to have come with that
[1:18:57] plan that's where I'm coming with the U
[1:19:00] all now I may be incorrect in that but
[1:19:03] that's the way it's been projected okay
[1:19:05] so what my only suggestion would just be
[1:19:08] to be a little more specific because I
[1:19:09] don't want to you
[1:19:11] know that might not accurately represent
[1:19:14] the process that's happening here and I
[1:19:15] think that that
[1:19:17] can put us back into a place where we're
[1:19:20] trying to move out of it thank you
[1:19:24] so do you want to detail what you mean
[1:19:26] by the structural deficit yeah you're
[1:19:28] taking away 50% of the fees so you're
[1:19:31] inherently creating a deficit in the
[1:19:33] water and sewage any changes you make
[1:19:36] into the budget in terms of uh positions
[1:19:40] is a onetime position to reduce the fees
[1:19:44] and then you now have that deficit built
[1:19:47] in and you're also creating a situation
[1:19:50] where if you do hire then you also have
[1:19:53] that built in as a ACC so there's we're
[1:19:57] looking at 7.4 let's just say for
[1:19:59] Giggles it's 35
[1:20:02] million you build in
[1:20:04] these deficits you're looking at roughly
[1:20:09] five five a half million how are you
[1:20:11] going to address
[1:20:13] that well first of all mayor said that
[1:20:15] deficit is not coming next your his
[1:20:17] words not mine and in terms of ring the
[1:20:19] positions Mr col we haven't filled them
[1:20:21] for years we've said that so that's I I
[1:20:24] think I don't think that point that
[1:20:26] point can be argued or even needs to be
[1:20:28] discussed any further sure it is because
[1:20:30] if you have $5 million worth of
[1:20:32] positions that don't get filled and we
[1:20:36] go through the season and we end up with
[1:20:38] either a deficit or a let's say we had a
[1:20:42] $2.5 million surplus a couple years ago
[1:20:45] we had $5 million worth of positions if
[1:20:48] we didn't if we had filled all those 5
[1:20:51] million positions we would have had a
[1:20:52] $2.5 million deficit mhm that's a
[1:20:56] deficit situation but first of all um
[1:20:59] and if you take those away then you have
[1:21:02] that situation well it's it's not that
[1:21:04] many vacancies first of all that we're
[1:21:06] talking about but it's 3 million it's
[1:21:09] probably 3
[1:21:11] million I don't know it's 3 million
[1:21:13] because they haven't we we asked for the
[1:21:15] number we have the number here except we
[1:21:17] have 2.5 in vacancies we said that we're
[1:21:21] not going to uh looking at keeping the
[1:21:23] police and fire in there so that
[1:21:25] significantly reduces that
[1:21:29] number you reduc the fire um fire and
[1:21:34] Patrol officers who approximately
[1:21:45] [Music]
[1:21:46] 1.4 I was this talking there my numbers
[1:21:49] are pretty
[1:21:51] close
[1:22:00] [Music]
[1:22:02] so I can say for myself specifically um
[1:22:05] I think I've been clear on my position
[1:22:07] with
[1:22:08] vacancies I think it is comparative that
[1:22:11] we adjust how we hire and recruit is
[1:22:14] naturally I think the way that our
[1:22:16] budget that has been previously
[1:22:18] submitted if you have unfilled positions
[1:22:20] those funds return to the fund balance
[1:22:22] is that correct I feel until the city
[1:22:25] can put forth a considered effort to to
[1:22:27] hire into these vacancies I think it is
[1:22:30] beneficial uh for the city residents to
[1:22:34] reap some of the benefits of that now
[1:22:37] after hearing from our finance
[1:22:39] department uh that benefit comes at a
[1:22:42] cost which potentially could put in
[1:22:44] Jeopardy our uh Bond reading that so
[1:22:47] correct that's right which is where my
[1:22:49] position then shifted because I do not
[1:22:51] want to MH completely under May
[1:22:54] McCarthy's efforts to manage the city
[1:22:56] appropriately and that is where my 50%
[1:22:59] came from however if we get to a
[1:23:01] standpoint where we can accurately
[1:23:03] evaluate and truly say that there are no
[1:23:07] other concessions that we can make to
[1:23:09] how we redefine these roles to increase
[1:23:12] our staffing then that number is what it
[1:23:14] is ladies and gentlemen and then we need
[1:23:17] to then take a hard look at what those
[1:23:19] fees have to reflect um but until we do
[1:23:23] that I've identified that those uh the
[1:23:26] fund balance should be used in that
[1:23:31] manner well I'll ask again how do you
[1:23:34] plan to address the structural
[1:23:42] deficits so you're stating that if we
[1:23:44] don't increase the water fees then we're
[1:23:46] going to have a structural deficit and
[1:23:47] then next year since they continually go
[1:23:49] up we're going to be in the same
[1:23:50] position so continually every year we
[1:23:52] will not only will will increase the
[1:23:54] fees or Actual taxes um on the taxpayers
[1:23:58] is what you're saying you will be in a
[1:24:00] worse position next year and the years
[1:24:02] after because it's exponential impact
[1:24:06] and all you're going to end up doing is
[1:24:08] uh creating a situation where taxes and
[1:24:10] fees will have to go up so much that
[1:24:13] this increase will look small I I
[1:24:16] completely agree with you there's no way
[1:24:18] I mean I really have spent so much time
[1:24:21] and I really think that that is what's
[1:24:23] going to happen that next year we would
[1:24:24] have to have a tax increase that would
[1:24:27] really hurt our
[1:24:29] residents and I think I mean again i'
[1:24:32] I've been here what this is my fourth
[1:24:34] budget or my third budget must be my
[1:24:36] fourth budget but I mean you all before
[1:24:38] me had done a nice job too I mean the
[1:24:40] thing has been either level or going
[1:24:42] down slightly for at least six years
[1:24:45] maybe seven on the
[1:24:47] taxes um so but next
[1:24:51] year would be hugee right I mean that do
[1:24:55] you agree with that next year a year
[1:24:58] after it's an exponential
[1:25:05] impact just can address Paul F Paul
[1:25:09] before last year we did a first raise of
[1:25:11] water and sore how many years did we not
[1:25:13] raise water and sore I think it was at
[1:25:15] least three or four years we four years
[1:25:17] then we had one and then you go back I
[1:25:19] think it was three years and we didn't
[1:25:20] have any where cost of living goes up
[1:25:23] every year we know that CPI we've tried
[1:25:25] to do our best to hold rates down as
[1:25:27] much as we can it comes to a point now
[1:25:29] where you know some things
[1:25:32] have created an issue where we need to
[1:25:34] raise our rates a $700,000 p service has
[1:25:38] to be repaid for the next 30 years if
[1:25:41] you take it out of your reserves it's
[1:25:43] still there next year what do you
[1:25:45] do it's I mean we have some of the best
[1:25:49] water around we have a great supply of
[1:25:51] water we run on a great wastewater
[1:25:53] treatment plant um we all know
[1:25:55] infrastructure is a it's a it's a costly
[1:25:58] subject it's kind of here and we we bear
[1:26:02] those costs and we to get that money
[1:26:06] either Rec through
[1:26:08] borrowing it's a dent service we pay
[1:26:10] back or emergency repairs come out of
[1:26:13] Reserve funds which we know we have we
[1:26:15] had big repairs over the past years a
[1:26:18] water man bre that broke over um 890 get
[1:26:22] to school um few years back to B cost
[1:26:26] well over a million dollars to rep
[1:26:30] um how much did the chemicals and sludge
[1:26:33] hauling sludge hauling has gone up
[1:26:36] considerably was just under $100 112 we
[1:26:41] up to 212 now we got to did a new RFP to
[1:26:46] get it down to
[1:26:47] $155 we do roughly 10,500 tons a year of
[1:26:50] sledge and 15 $5 a
[1:26:53] p it's it's a lot of money 50% increase
[1:26:57] right chemicals have g off considerably
[1:26:59] these are uncontrollable cost that we we deal with it's you know energy cost
[1:27:07] L um everything has gone up in the
[1:27:11] operations of the wastewater treatment
[1:27:12] plant store division for the water
[1:27:14] treatment plant and at the same time we
[1:27:18] have to constantly be looking at making
[1:27:19] upgrad because again um we're planning
[1:27:23] for the future we want that water supply
[1:27:25] we want the resiliency of being able to
[1:27:28] turn our faucets on and have water every
[1:27:30] day those plans are are always there we
[1:27:36] just did the wells we're doing flation
[1:27:38] now and in the the Final Phase will be
[1:27:40] the well houses and all the equipment um
[1:27:43] that's to ensure that we have you a
[1:27:45] supply of
[1:27:46] water and on the waste water side to
[1:27:48] treat everything prior to going into the
[1:27:50] MK River where down street just like Le
[1:27:54] are pulling water off for drinking water
[1:27:55] we're fortunate enough to have the
[1:27:59] aqua our cost would be considerably
[1:28:01] higher if we didn't have an aquafer we
[1:28:02] had put water out a river we be creating
[1:28:05] water so we're fortunate in some ways
[1:28:08] but again our costs go up every
[1:28:10] year and sply this to our
[1:28:13] taxpayers nobody wants to like you said
[1:28:16] nobody wants to raise rates but it's the
[1:28:18] cost of doing
[1:28:20] business some has to pay for
[1:28:26] it but then most importantly someone has
[1:28:29] to do the job to make sure that those
[1:28:31] systems are still operational and what
[1:28:33] we've seen in this budget are consistent
[1:28:36] increases to our fees for services and
[1:28:39] also positions um so I think that's
[1:28:42] where the struggle truly is is you keep
[1:28:46] going after positions but these are the
[1:28:47] positions we need I hear you say that
[1:28:49] they've been there for years there will
[1:28:51] always be open positions people come
[1:28:54] people go they retire they're terminated
[1:28:57] they leave for other positions they'll
[1:28:58] always be open positions we do our best
[1:29:01] to fill them and we have agreements in
[1:29:04] place with the bargain un that has a you
[1:29:08] an opportunity for people to come in and
[1:29:10] grow and whether they're in the Parks or
[1:29:13] the streets you know they're MOS they
[1:29:16] all work together they have the same
[1:29:18] qualifications with regards to civil
[1:29:20] service it's the same job title it's the
[1:29:23] same job description the biggest
[1:29:26] requirement is the CDL license without
[1:29:28] the CDL license I can't put anybody in a
[1:29:31] truck to drive
[1:29:34] [Music]
[1:29:46] it so I think hearing from Miss Patrick
[1:29:50] and then in some May Mr Toro and Mr Pini
[1:29:54] uh sta stances
[1:29:57] of standing behind the mayor's proposed
[1:30:00] budget
[1:30:00] correct so I'd
[1:30:02] say he's he's I think I'm willing to
[1:30:06] make I want my question answer about the
[1:30:09] structural deficits I have yet to get an
[1:30:11] answer on that I'm willing to address
[1:30:13] Some Cuts here or there but I've not
[1:30:17] gotten an answer to my question you guys
[1:30:19] ask questions all the time you know
[1:30:22] that's an important one how are we going
[1:30:23] to deal with the structural deficits
[1:30:25] because it's only going to cause the
[1:30:27] problem to be much more worse in a year
[1:30:30] two three years down the
[1:30:33] world I would say before before I would
[1:30:36] say part of it is considering your
[1:30:38] stance with a cautious optimism because
[1:30:40] if I remember correctly that was your
[1:30:42] previous narrative last year and the the
[1:30:46] city's not it's not on fire and I think
[1:30:49] the language in which she used which was
[1:30:51] very insightful or gu very incendiary I
[1:30:56] think was was how I was presented with
[1:30:58] my first budget of if you do not approve
[1:31:01] 100% of what the mayor is saying or if
[1:31:03] you do not have this uh uh lines in
[1:31:06] order um you are running the city into a
[1:31:09] brick wall and I although we are at in
[1:31:13] impass yet again I don't think that's where we currently are um I think
[1:31:17] we're more or less trying to understand
[1:31:19] how do we marginally increase
[1:31:22] where we're not having to jump more more
[1:31:25] steps next year because the fact is the
[1:31:28] money's got to come from somewhere it's
[1:31:29] going to come from the fund balance that
[1:31:31] fund balance goes down significantly
[1:31:34] gets below $6 million the bond rating
[1:31:36] goes down costs go up even further
[1:31:39] couple uh incidents and the the reserves
[1:31:42] are gone and the city's bankrupt that's
[1:31:45] not hyperbole that's reality Am I Wrong
[1:31:48] Mr Ferrari so so I think the question
[1:31:51] then would be um you said that you were
[1:31:53] support that you would support some C
[1:31:55] where what areas would you support those
[1:31:58] I've made those last night with the uh
[1:32:01] the clerk's office I think the uh the
[1:32:03] council's salary increase as well as the
[1:32:06] benefits those are those are some
[1:32:09] starters um you know but other other
[1:32:13] areas I mean code enforcement is a
[1:32:16] revenue line why would we cut those
[1:32:18] individuals the uh some of these I think
[1:32:22] are Grant
[1:32:24] positions the uh some of them are just
[1:32:27] plain needed so you know I'm willing to
[1:32:31] listen but I put out some suggestions
[1:32:33] and so that that that's why I think
[1:32:36] where the productive conversation can
[1:32:37] happen so you were
[1:32:40] saying the position in the clerk's
[1:32:42] office
[1:32:43] and the uh increase for the council is
[1:32:47] where where else cuz I know that that's
[1:32:49] pretty on the scale of what we're
[1:32:51] talking talking about that's pretty well
[1:32:53] we're not going my view we're not
[1:32:55] there's no way to get the
[1:32:56] 777 can I can I just sorry didn't mean
[1:33:00] to tr no no no just jump right in well I
[1:33:03] just do want to say that that is part of
[1:33:05] what happened to me this afternoon I
[1:33:06] must say that I mean thinking about last
[1:33:09] night in particular I mean I just felt
[1:33:12] like we
[1:33:13] were going over the same lines over and over again and when you look at
[1:33:17] the money it was it was it just was
[1:33:20] minuscule in terms of some of the so
[1:33:24] that's where I thought I think I just
[1:33:26] felt like we were spinning our wheels so
[1:33:28] that's really what happened to me this
[1:33:29] afternoon as I was red digesting
[1:33:33] everything that we
[1:33:36] discussed but I'm no you
[1:33:40] know I mean I think we'd have to have
[1:33:43] like huge chunks you know um we'd have
[1:33:45] to look for huge chunks of of funding
[1:33:49] here so if we're taking out the so so in
[1:33:51] terms of you're saying it's new school
[1:33:53] what they provided from us for the
[1:33:54] finance department is all the vacant
[1:33:57] positions who taking out fire employe so
[1:34:00] um it's been said that it's there's 1.4
[1:34:02] million so that's not really to
[1:34:04] minuscule if and we're trying to get to
[1:34:07] 777000 to Mr pin's Point your your
[1:34:10] recommendations in terms of the council
[1:34:12] um there was uh the a was agreed on but
[1:34:16] there was a council member who who was
[1:34:18] very clear about the um about the uh
[1:34:22] me about the
[1:34:25] insurance yeah and um and also you know
[1:34:28] I will I'll speak up about the clerk's
[1:34:30] office we only when we think about the
[1:34:32] clerk's office we only think about the
[1:34:33] clerk sitting here doing the work that
[1:34:35] for the council however the I've been in
[1:34:37] there and the clerk's office does a lot
[1:34:39] of work and serves the public and I say
[1:34:41] I would say very well I would just um
[1:34:43] say that I had people who have
[1:34:45] complimented um the people the offices
[1:34:48] the folks office as well as other
[1:34:49] offices where they have to interact with
[1:34:51] public so I think that we have um public
[1:34:53] facing offices that are doing a great
[1:34:55] job that we don't lessen their ability
[1:34:57] to do the job and M Mike who stated last
[1:35:00] night that there additional duties that
[1:35:02] had been assigned to her office so
[1:35:06] um and and that which brings in more
[1:35:09] Revenue thank you for telling me that so
[1:35:11] but the revenue line has been
[1:35:13] flat it's going to be bringing in more
[1:35:16] because we're going to be putting things
[1:35:17] online right and if we do more of that
[1:35:20] we can eliminate some of the positions
[1:35:22] and get more
[1:35:27] efficient um thank you for everyone's
[1:35:30] opinion so I I'm just that Mr Ferrari
[1:35:32] and and and there provided to us today
[1:35:35] what positions here that haven't been
[1:35:37] filled in a year two years a couple of
[1:35:39] years whatever are you recommending that
[1:35:42] we cut all all these other positions to
[1:35:44] get to the 770 I I'm just curious well
[1:35:47] it would need to be off had I'm sorry it
[1:35:50] would not need to be
[1:35:52] right but um so minus minus police at
[1:35:55] 795 fire 384 Animal Control at
[1:35:59] 355 and I would like to keep all the
[1:36:01] meos at 671 I mean what what positions
[1:36:05] are I I'm not looking to cut any
[1:36:06] position because I think the budget
[1:36:08] presented to us again is a good budget
[1:36:11] but what what are you recommending that
[1:36:13] we cut at this point so maybe we can you
[1:36:16] know think about a little something else
[1:36:18] but you made it quite imperative that
[1:36:19] you have no interest in think well okay
[1:36:22] but I'm I'm asking you what positions
[1:36:24] are you willing to cut to get to that
[1:36:26] $770,000 but you're asking me to
[1:36:28] entertain a conversation that you've had
[1:36:30] no point in wanting to follow through so
[1:36:34] excuse me I'm not done yet well I was
[1:36:40] okay um Mr I want to
[1:36:45] speak so what I what I was going to
[1:36:48] suggest is that maybe if you look at the
[1:36:50] positions that are here and then maybe
[1:36:53] if if you can start to rate them
[1:36:57] yourself like where there might be areas
[1:36:59] that you're willing to move on and and therefore we can have a conversation
[1:37:05] around that but I think M Mr Williams
[1:37:07] poting I don't put words in your mouth
[1:37:09] and how I understand what you're saying
[1:37:10] is that you're not interested in cutting
[1:37:12] or because I don't think anyone wants to cut anything right so if it's
[1:37:17] like if you're not interested in
[1:37:18] entertaining the conversation well then
[1:37:20] we will be kind of like what M Patrick
[1:37:22] is saying SP over that was only thing I
[1:37:24] was trying to interject yeah well thank
[1:37:25] you Mr
[1:37:26] FY um so you know clerical AIDS ips3 I
[1:37:31] mean I'm in favor of keeping all these
[1:37:33] positions because obviously they
[1:37:35] wouldn't be on here unless they were
[1:37:37] need it to serve the public in an
[1:37:39] efficient manner and and that's really
[1:37:41] all I'm going to say right
[1:37:43] now right and in in digesting this
[1:37:46] entire conversation I honestly saw no
[1:37:50] value in Contin this because I know your
[1:37:52] position and it's clearly Laden out so
[1:37:54] but I'm just wondering about your
[1:37:56] position I mean you have a whole room of
[1:37:58] individuals here who want to know if the
[1:38:01] getting their positions cut
[1:38:03] uh that was my only question is on the
[1:38:07] finance committee I I don't have a vote
[1:38:09] to get it out but I also want it to be
[1:38:11] important to highlight we're not cutting
[1:38:12] any positions that are currently filled
[1:38:14] so the I understand that totally and
[1:38:16] it's that type of language though that
[1:38:17] the community latches on to and then
[1:38:20] those phone calls that were buing are
[1:38:21] taking on a new narrative the positions
[1:38:23] that we were previously evaluating were
[1:38:26] vacant correct like I started my
[1:38:28] conversation with one year two year
[1:38:29] three year you know that's how I started
[1:38:31] the conversation but again but you said
[1:38:33] individuals who might be losing their
[1:38:36] jobs oh I didn't hear sorry I didn't
[1:38:38] mean to say that at
[1:38:40] all and to Mr Farley's point but our
[1:38:43] spinning our whe suggestions made no we
[1:38:46] got to keep those positions which is
[1:38:48] fine I I understand that perspective but you know some cuts are okay other
[1:38:53] cuts are not you know it's it's the
[1:38:57] Dealer's Choice here so um I think
[1:39:00] you're absolutely
[1:39:02] correct right and that's why my stance
[1:39:05] was then hearing where people's
[1:39:07] positions are and how do we pass a
[1:39:08] budget that we all can support and agree
[1:39:13] on but I'd still like my question
[1:39:15] answered about the structural
[1:39:20] deficits
[1:39:35] well I I know you keep using that term
[1:39:37] but I don't um and you're saying like
[1:39:39] years down the road and so we have to
[1:39:41] pass a budget one year each year at a
[1:39:42] time and so we're looking at passing
[1:39:46] this budget and increasing Revenue it's
[1:39:48] been said time and time again it's been
[1:39:49] said at the police department it's been
[1:39:51] set in cold enforcement um uh it's been
[1:39:54] said in the clerk's office so part of
[1:39:56] creating the budget is increasing
[1:39:59] Revenue but we never talk about that so
[1:40:02] in terms of you keep continually saying
[1:40:04] that you're um believing that you're
[1:40:07] offering in the per that our Revenue
[1:40:09] will stay flat and they will have no
[1:40:11] more even if it goes up a consistent you
[1:40:15] if they go hand inand because costs are
[1:40:17] going to go up even if the revenue goes
[1:40:20] up you still have that Gap so it doesn't
[1:40:24] go
[1:40:24] away and we're talking about let's
[1:40:27] getting rid of feas because our
[1:40:29] residents uh have a burden and yes they
[1:40:32] have a burden but you're just making it
[1:40:35] worse in two or three years and that's
[1:40:38] just a matter of
[1:40:40] fact I believe the term you just used
[1:40:43] that you said were saying let's get rid
[1:40:44] of fees I don't I didn't hear that from
[1:40:48] anyone I could just speak for myself I
[1:40:50] didn't say that's good rid of fees I
[1:40:52] think it's important that we're using
[1:40:53] accurate language so it is accurate
[1:40:55] you're looking to get rid of some of the
[1:40:56] fees get rid of fees that's 50% if it's
[1:41:01] 1% it's you're looking to get rid of
[1:41:03] fees that's an accurate
[1:41:08] statement and that's very different than
[1:41:10] getting rid of them same thing it's not
[1:41:13] the same and all you're doing is putting
[1:41:15] it down the road and making it worse
[1:41:18] well no and I don't think that is just a
[1:41:20] question of Sam I don't think it's
[1:41:22] question of semantics I think one action
[1:41:24] is saying that we are looking to or
[1:41:27] council members are saying how do we not
[1:41:29] increase fees and then there's a
[1:41:31] conversation of how do we not increase
[1:41:33] fees and getting rid of fees would would
[1:41:35] suggest that there's fees that we're
[1:41:37] trying to reduce and get rid of right
[1:41:38] now and I don't think that that
[1:41:40] conversation is or that framing is
[1:41:43] accurate of for my understanding right
[1:41:45] now regardless doesn't answer my
[1:41:48] question about the deficit it doesn't
[1:41:50] answer my
[1:41:58] so so at this point in time are we
[1:42:01] entertaining um getting them well miss
[1:42:04] POS Miss Patrick's position has changed
[1:42:06] so um she said the
[1:42:10] moment but um are we entertaining like
[1:42:13] looking at reducing the fees for
[1:42:14] services and truly Mr mood she behave
[1:42:16] for this discussion because I know
[1:42:18] that's one of the items that he was
[1:42:19] bringing forward um to get to that
[1:42:22] number or
[1:42:24] we that's really the question and we can
[1:42:27] get this budget out
[1:42:29] of can we get there
[1:42:36] tonight I just wanted just so as Derek
[1:42:40] said in the beginning excuse me
[1:42:41] beginning of this conference the 2024 a
[1:42:45] budget
[1:42:46] for what it peace peace res Services is
[1:42:50] 4% that was in 2023 so just want to let
[1:42:53] you know that right off
[1:42:56] the
[1:42:58] 4% in the general fund Ro departments
[1:43:02] you total everything out from the 2023
[1:43:05] adopted budget to the um uh proposed
[1:43:10] 2024 budget looking at a 4%
[1:43:19] decrease
[1:43:30] but I can say to my comment if you're
[1:43:32] truly looking for a response at some
[1:43:33] point our investments and Technology
[1:43:35] need to start reaping benefits for our
[1:43:37] community and if we are saying and
[1:43:39] hearing from uh our Public Services
[1:43:42] saying that not yet we need more time at
[1:43:45] some point that question is going to
[1:43:47] need to be answered or met with what is
[1:43:50] the value of our continued investments
[1:43:52] in such
[1:43:54] efforts okay but that still doesn't deal
[1:43:57] with the structural deficits next year
[1:44:00] we're going to have a payment for 500
[1:44:03] next year
[1:44:05] $500,000 we have to look at this if
[1:44:07] we're looking to reduce the burden on
[1:44:09] taxpayers which is what I've been
[1:44:12] hearing then you have to look at the
[1:44:15] impact beyond the 2024 budget because
[1:44:19] the impact will be multiplied and it
[1:44:22] will only be that much worse for
[1:44:24] residents we have a $500,000 payment
[1:44:27] coming for the axium which we agreed to
[1:44:30] that's got to be put into the budget
[1:44:31] it's not yet we have the contract coming
[1:44:34] up with the police department that's a
[1:44:36] minimum of x amount of dollars don't
[1:44:39] want to do it publicly because but it's
[1:44:43] substantial and
[1:44:45] we if we were to go with half
[1:44:49] fees 3 let's say 3.4 was it $1.7 million
[1:44:55] deficit I'm sorry if we went with half
[1:44:58] fees it would be a $1.7 million deficit
[1:45:07] 1.1.2 $500,000 at this point doesn't
[1:45:10] really matter so 1.2 million that's
[1:45:15] several million dollars that we're not
[1:45:17] accounting for and we have to address if
[1:45:21] we're really interested in making the
[1:45:25] burden not hard on our residents and
[1:45:28] that's why the structural deficit is
[1:45:33] important so last year with us
[1:45:37] um not increasing fees um to this way we
[1:45:41] ended up you're saying that it's now 4%
[1:45:46] less no Fe for service free for service
[1:45:49] okay yes you that's the water and store
[1:45:52] fees this is fees for services from the
[1:45:55] various departments that didn't make
[1:45:57] sense to me I'm like those
[1:45:59] projections
[1:46:17] yeah seems like the question is again
[1:46:19] how can I closer to the demands of
[1:46:22] sticking to the mayor's propos proposed
[1:46:26] budget so I know the word no one wants
[1:46:29] to hear is recess and I don't even know
[1:46:31] if you would entertain one but I I do
[1:46:33] not
[1:46:36] know I just want an answer if I'm not
[1:46:40] going to get one that's fine you can say
[1:46:41] I don't have an answer but I would like
[1:46:43] to know what the plan is for the
[1:46:46] structural deficit yet to get an answer
[1:46:48] and if the answers I don't have one or
[1:46:51] whatever that's fine and we'll move on
[1:46:53] and we'll recess but that's the fifth
[1:46:56] time I've asked the question and I've
[1:46:58] yet to get an answer and and I think
[1:47:01] that and I think that you're um
[1:47:03] projecting and not NE and not I don't
[1:47:06] know if you're necessarily projecting
[1:47:07] with um actual numbers we were down we
[1:47:09] were sat at the same table last year and
[1:47:11] we had a similar conversation about how
[1:47:12] bad it was going to be and we're not the
[1:47:14] place that you said we're going to be
[1:47:16] and again we have to do a better job of
[1:47:19] look and increasing our revenue and
[1:47:21] that's on us so we said it last year I
[1:47:23] the only reason we're we're doing okay
[1:47:25] is because we used
[1:47:27] 49 million or whatever it was in har
[1:47:30] this year we're using 6.6 are my numbers
[1:47:34] horribly wrong from what I've said Mr
[1:47:37] ferr I would say the manner in which you
[1:47:39] delivered them
[1:47:41] were and I can say the same about yours
[1:47:44] but if if we're all I'm asking is if I'm
[1:47:47] not going to get an answer just say I
[1:47:48] won't get an answer and we'll reset yes
[1:47:51] that's fine I'm okay with that maybe I can suggest that maybe it's not
[1:47:56] the answer that you deem acceptable cuz
[1:48:00] I the Council president has addressed
[1:48:02] that no she hasn't with all due respect
[1:48:04] she has not okay
[1:48:07] so I believe she she did um maybe not to
[1:48:11] your satisfactory and I can appreciate
[1:48:13] that I just want to reiterate that there
[1:48:15] has been a bit of a thought exchange
[1:48:17] here and from what I heard is that the
[1:48:20] council president has tried to address
[1:48:22] what you're describing um as a built-in
[1:48:26] deficit structural
[1:48:31] deficit there's yet to be an answer as
[1:48:35] how to how to close that
[1:48:40] Gap well I guess the answer is not
[1:48:44] satisfactory to you but again I I I
[1:48:46] submit that you said similarly last year
[1:48:49] um you're saying again this year but
[1:48:50] you're not specifically saying where it
[1:48:53] is I have been specific very specific
[1:48:55] with my numbers you just have't listen
[1:48:57] and Mr Ferrari has said my numbers are
[1:48:59] pretty accurate so and I have this so I
[1:49:04] take objection to that uh so you know
[1:49:07] those that's those are my response to
[1:49:09] your um to your and I understand that
[1:49:10] you won't be at this table next year
[1:49:12] when we do this again I appreciate your
[1:49:13] presence here now um and we will and
[1:49:18] have help the say have they heard I said
[1:49:21] Heaven helped the city so if you want to
[1:49:24] recess if if I'm not going to get an
[1:49:26] answer that's fine we'll recess I would
[1:49:28] say your narrative is on brand but can I
[1:49:31] have a motion foress and now we need to
[1:49:33] discuss a de well it's not discussing
[1:49:38] the DAT you've called for a special
[1:49:40] meeting special meeting bypasses the
[1:49:42] committee you have a statutory
[1:49:45] obligation to adopt the budget by
[1:49:46] November
[1:49:48] 1st and don't have where's the big hand
[1:49:51] on the clock a
[1:49:54] little so what I would say is you got to
[1:49:57] put a budget forward and vote on it
[1:50:02] whether you want to use mine as the
[1:50:04] Baseline line by line amendments or
[1:50:07] whatever but you called for a special
[1:50:09] meeting and think you have an obligation
[1:50:12] to vote on a
[1:50:15] budget um so my understanding from um Mr
[1:50:19] P is that if we there's not that our
[1:50:22] code does not speak to what happens if
[1:50:24] we don't pass the budget on November 1st
[1:50:28] um I know that we have to pass it by the
[1:50:29] end of the year otherwise we don't have
[1:50:31] a budget so you can just L some clarity
[1:50:33] to that Mr
[1:50:35] hold our code does not provide for a
[1:50:41] there's no provision within our Charter
[1:50:42] just within our Charter not the code
[1:50:45] which says the time to pass the budget
[1:50:48] is by November one the end of November
[1:50:51] one the particular year um Arco does not
[1:50:54] provide for or Charter there um does not
[1:50:58] provide for the what if question if you
[1:51:00] don't pass it on that particular day
[1:51:03] there's no statutory provision um in
[1:51:05] general Municipal law second class city
[1:51:08] law um general city law uh that applies
[1:51:13] to budget
[1:51:14] FES
[1:51:16] um generally um everything goes back to
[1:51:20] the
[1:51:24] Charter well it's been a special meeting
[1:51:26] called for that bypasses the system so
[1:51:29] what I'm suggesting is you use my budget
[1:51:31] as a Baseline and then move to amend it
[1:51:34] from the
[1:51:38] floor and I'll make a motion
[1:51:41] to accept the mayor's
[1:51:45] budget you call the meeting to order I
[1:51:48] was we hav really recess first it has to
[1:51:53] pass out committee the budget no not if
[1:51:55] we have a special meeting bypasses the
[1:51:58] committee there's one
[1:52:01] item or Whatever item is delineated in
[1:52:04] the
[1:52:07] notes so we don't have to leave I don't
[1:52:11] believe I given a copy whatever given of
[1:52:14] the council so whatever is in
[1:52:15] [Music]
[1:52:18] that yesterday I going to do
[1:52:21] tonight oh so there's I thought the
[1:52:24] agendas were passed out last night right
[1:52:27] no there's another agenda today the
[1:52:30] agenda the notice that sered on city
[1:52:33] council elimates what you're going to
[1:52:37] [Music]
[1:52:39] do the session sent last week um you had
[1:52:42] it receiv you received it by emailed it
[1:52:46] received it by in person as well yes I
[1:52:49] just did didn't bring M with
[1:52:53] me I did receive so the special meeting
[1:52:56] said that we were going to call for a
[1:52:59] um special meeting for the finance
[1:53:01] committee to pass the budget out of
[1:53:03] finance and then um the then the meeting
[1:53:06] we need to uh thank
[1:53:08] you okay this reads as
[1:53:11] follows uh Tuesday October 4th and
[1:53:14] Wednesday uh November excuse me October
[1:53:16] 31st and Wednesday November 1st if
[1:53:18] budget not passed on October 31st it
[1:53:21] disconnect the city council meeting to
[1:53:22] convene finance committee followed by
[1:53:24] the special city council meeting that is
[1:53:28] to pass the budget however we did not
[1:53:30] pass the budget out of the finance
[1:53:33] committee you don't have
[1:53:39] to it's a question whether or not we
[1:53:42] have to pass it out of the finance
[1:53:43] committee the language in our code um
[1:53:46] section
[1:53:47] 28-3 says special meetings may be called
[1:53:49] any any time by any member of the
[1:53:51] council 3 days notice specifying the
[1:53:52] object of the meeting city clerk shall
[1:53:55] cause the written notice thereof
[1:53:56] specifying the object of the meeting to
[1:53:57] be served upon each member personal to
[1:53:59] be delivered at such special meeting no
[1:54:02] business other than that named in the
[1:54:04] notice of the meeting shall be transa
[1:54:06] transacted except by unan
[1:54:08] consent at the time fix in the notice of
[1:54:11] special meeting the city council shall
[1:54:13] convene the president shall take the
[1:54:15] chair and the following shall be the
[1:54:17] order of business roll call reading of
[1:54:20] the notice of the meeting and proof of
[1:54:21] service transaction of the business
[1:54:24] specified in notice and
[1:54:28] adjournment so we we have to follow a
[1:54:31] special meeting and um we need a budget
[1:54:33] to pass so we need a budget out of
[1:54:35] finances what I'm
[1:54:37] [Music]
[1:54:40] understanding it goes to the notice I
[1:54:43] agree with the mayor that if a special
[1:54:46] meeting is being called for particular
[1:54:48] item meeting of this a special meeting
[1:54:52] of the city
[1:54:53] council then it would bypass the
[1:54:56] whatever is contained within the notice
[1:54:58] would bypass the committee but goes to
[1:55:01] the language in the notice
[1:55:07] okay do you have to at least
[1:55:11] [Music]
[1:55:13] I'm
[1:55:17] conv so
[1:55:21] motion to recess motion second I second
[1:55:24] all in favor I recess call order the
[1:55:27] special meeting of the city council me
[1:55:29] city council for November 1st
[1:55:31] 2023 to vote on the budget um I'd ask
[1:55:36] the clerk to do a roll call
[1:55:39] please Mr Williams
[1:55:42] no the call for attendance
[1:55:48] Mr Mr here Mr Toro here Mr here M
[1:55:54] pres okay um special meeting is
[1:55:58] [Music]
[1:56:01] to the special meeting is to pass the
[1:56:04] 2024 operating budget and capital budget
[1:56:06] for the city is
[1:56:08] connected
[1:56:10] so at this point in time the budget only
[1:56:13] budget before us is the budget that the
[1:56:15] mayor has put
[1:56:18] forward
[1:56:21] so I would ask for a roll call on the
[1:56:26] item that's on the
[1:56:34] table we need a motion a motion to bring
[1:56:37] to the
[1:56:38] table um I yes go ahead i' recommend
[1:56:41] discussion first since you're going to
[1:56:43] do a roll call though yes right is there
[1:56:45] any discuss is there any further
[1:56:47] discussion on this item
[1:56:51] the time to make those last comments
[1:56:53] before we call the
[1:56:58] roll this Michael of all is Mr
[1:57:03] Williams Mr Farley yeah Miss Patrick
[1:57:08] yes Mr Toro yes Mr palamini
[1:57:14] yes Miss pfield
[1:57:18] no motion
[1:57:21] [Music]
[1:57:25] fails ask for a motion toour so move
[1:57:32] second moveed by m Patrick second by Mr
[1:57:34] Farley all those in
[1:57:40] [Music]
[1:57:48] favor oh sure
[1:57:52] [Music]
[1:58:18] I'll
[1:58:22] [Music]
[1:58:28] I'm telling you I was like oh please
[1:58:31] don't sit down
[1:58:36] [Music]
[1:58:45] to how's your mom doing how's your mom
[1:58:48] uh struggling but all things
[1:58:52] consider thank you for coming toate of
[1:58:59] [Music]
[1:59:03] course
[1:59:18] you
[1:59:20] [Music]
[1:59:48] Jack
[1:59:51] what your
[1:59:59] [Music]
[2:00:18] name
[2:00:48] for
[2:01:48] e
[2:02:17] for
[2:04:17] e
[2:04:47] for
[2:05:17] e
[2:11:17] for
[2:11:47] e
[2:12:47] for
[2:13:46] e
[2:14:16] for
[2:15:46] e